Adjustments
by Jenny wrens
Summary: Gibbs is adjusting to being a father again. Riley Janssen is adjusting to being a teenager. He's a good kid. Too good and Gibbs is worried about what he's keeping trapped inside. Makayla must face her parents as they come home from Europe. Lots of cute Janessa and feisty Aimee moments as well.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello Faithful Readers,**_

_**I debated posting this story because I don't have a lot of time to write but, I decided I would post it anyway. :)**_

_**I can't promise to update very regularly so please be patient with me. I have a houseful of little people to attend to and my youngest is on the move constantly these days...she keeps me on my toes...busier than all my others combined.**_

_**This story will be about Makayla and her parents. It will be about Riley struggling with his past and struggling to trust and let people in. It will be about Gibbs, Aimee and Janessa and their adjustments to being a family. It will be about Gibbs trying to figure it all out. It will include some of the team as well.**_

_**Let me know if you are reading along...if I have readers and reviewers, it will spur my writing along.**_

_**Happy Spring...cold, wet spring here in Canada.**_

_**Blessings,**_

_**Jenny Wrens :)**_

* * *

Makayla closed her eyes enjoying the night sounds as the porch swing glided silently back and forth. Ever since the first time she'd seen an episode of the Walton's when she was a little kid, she'd wanted a porch swing. There was just something magical about it. It seemed that Gibbs was a very industrious man when he had time off from NCIS. He'd woken one morning and announced he wanted to build the swing on the front and he'd done just that. Makayla adored it! She loved curling up with her art supplies or a good book and staring at the stars at night, except now it had gotten so cold in the evenings that she had to bundle up. Thanksgiving had come and gone and the day had arrived that her parents were returning from Europe. Her stomach ached when she thought of it. No matter how many times she'd spoken with them, Makayla still worried. Her father seemed okay with her but her mother remained distant, even after she'd told her about apologizing to the headmaster and being reinstated. Her mother wasn't impressed by her at all, and her expulsion from school had infuriated her, despite the fact that Makayla had been re-admitted and was working hard to pull up her grades. She'd pretty much given up hope to ever pursue her love of art in New York. Reality told her that her dreams of that were useless. Staying with Gibbs as often as she did had grounded her in some ways. Not that it was him that persuaded her to give up her dream; it was quite the opposite actually. Gibbs seemed to inspire her to dream bigger but, lately, knowing her mother was returning, she'd lost all hope of aspiring to anything she wanted. There was no point because her mother would always get her way. Always.

"Want some company?"

Makayla looked up startled to see Riley smiling down at her. The dark-haired teenager was dressed in blue jeans and a red USMC sweatshirt. Makayla felt her heart flutter a little. Since Riley's hair had grown in and he'd put on a few pounds, Mak couldn't help but notice him a lot more and it made her face flush. Riley Janssen was a good looking guy, no doubt about it but he was way out of her league.

"Is that Gibbs' sweater?"

Riley smirked. "Yep."

Makayla moved over and Riley sat down, pulling her blanket across his legs and helping her sway the swing.

"He's gonna notice you took it," she said, trying to sound less breathless than she felt as she caught a whiff of his aftershave. She didn't know a single boy other than Riley that shaved. It was intriguing to her.

Riley shrugged with little care. "He left it in my room…"

"You mean his room," she laughed. "Have you seen the back room yet? It's almost finished and it looks fantastic. I think you're gonna like having your own space. You'll have a good view of the stars from the skylight."

Riley grinned. "It can't come soon enough for me. Aimee and Janessa have been driving me crazy the past few weeks, ever since Jackson went back to Stillwater to sell his house."

Makayla pulled her knees up to her chest as she shivered. "They like you, Riley. You're like a big brother to them."

Riley put his hands behind his head and stretched out his feet. "I like them too. It's fun having little sisters. I could get used to this life if only..." His voice trailed off causing Makayla to turn and look at him in the shadow of the evening.

"If only what?"

Riley sat forward again. "Never mind, I wanted to be a shoulder for you to lean on, Mak, not the other way around. You were quiet at supper tonight. Are you worried about your folks coming tonight?"

Makayla's mouth dried up and she found she couldn't reply so she nodded. A sheen of tears washed over her eyes and she had to blink quickly to force them away. Now wasn't the time to cry. Riley had been through way worse in his 16 years. Getting expelled from school was no comparison to being water boarded or beaten up.

Riley seemed to recognise her discomfort and asked another question to alleviate the lull in the conversation. "What's your dad like?"

"He's cool. We talked and he's not mad at me …like he's not going to punish me or anything."

"I bet that's a relief."

"It is, but it was never him I was worried about. My mother is a whole other story. My Aunt Jenny is a pushover compared to her."

Riley and Makayla's eyes met momentarily before Makayla looked away, wiping away a tear that had escaped down her cheek.

"What's the worse she'll do? Yell at you?"

Makayla cleared the lump from her throat, not really wanting to answer him. She turned to look at him, this time allowing him to see the anguish on her face. Riley clenched his jaw when he looked her in the eye. He reached out and wiped away a stray tear. Makayla froze and her heart almost stopped when his hand made contact with her cheek. Colour came to her face and she could feel the heat creeping up her neck. She forced herself to keep talking despite the pounding pulse in her head.

"It's not about being yelled at. I can take that. It's the power she has to literally rip away everything I care about."

"You mean your art," he said dropping his hand away and she nodded. "I'm sorry, Mak…that must be tough."

Makayla sniffled and wiped at her eyes deciding she'd had enough wallowing. If she wasn't so afraid Gibbs would kill her, she would just take off for a couple of hours until her Aunt Jenny picked up her parents at the airport. Her aunt had wanted her to go with her but Makayla declined. It was better to have the dreaded conversation here rather than the airport. She knew her mother was going to flip out on her and she didn't need the public humiliation. Of course, sitting around and waiting for them to arrive wasn't making her feel the greatest either. It was like waiting for the axe to fall on the guillotine. It was inevitable. She stood up, dropping the blanket to the ground and let out a frustrated scream.

Riley chuckled. "You're wound up like a top, kid.

Makayla frowned. "Kid? Who are you calling kid?" Her hands found her hips as she glared down at him. She didn't feel much like joking around and his words irritated her.

"You, silly. Who else?" He kicked her playfully with the grin widening on his face.

Makayla considered Riley for a moment before seeing the glint in his eye. He was teasing her and she knew it but she just felt too grouchy to play along. One thing she'd come to appreciate about Riley was how genuinely nice he was. She didn't know why or how but for some reason, Riley chose to be kind to everyone. It seemed like nothing dragged him down, and if it did, he kept it to himself. In some ways, Riley was a complete mystery to her, but she couldn't help herself from admiring him…maybe even loving him, which was dangerous for her heart, especially if he really did see her as just a kid.

"Hey," said Riley, interrupting her thoughts. "Why don't I take you out for ice cream or something? It'll help take your mind off things. There's no sense sitting around here waiting for the axe to fall."

Makayla hugged herself as a chill from the evening enveloped her. "Gibbs will kill you."

Riley smirked, "Nah, he might be a little ticked off that I took his truck without asking, but he won't kill me. C'mon, live a little, Wallace. I'll leave a note. Besides, he took the girls to the movies; we'll probably be back before he gets home anyway."

Makayla considered his invitation for a moment. It was better than her idea of taking off on her own. Gibbs would kick her butt, and it would just make everything worse than she already anticipated. This way, Gibbs could kick Riley's butt instead. She sighed. Riley was probably right. Gibbs would be irritated but it wouldn't be a huge deal in the end; after all, it was just a few ice cream cones at the local ice cream parlour down the street.

"Ok, let me grab my sweater, but if Gibbs freaks out, it better be your ass on the line and not mine."

Riley grinned. "I promise."

* * *

Gibbs pulled in the laneway and clenched his jaw to keep from saying anything he might regret. He looked over at Aimee who sat with her arms crossed, stubbornly refusing to move to help Janessa unbuckle her car seat.

"You could offer to help your sister, you know," he all but growled at his pouting older daughter.

"It's okay, daddy. I cans do it," piped up five-year-old Janessa, fumbling with the buckle.

Gibbs watched for a moment, allowing the youngster a moment to try on her own then reached back to help her while still staring intently at Aimee who refused to meet his eye. Janessa continued to struggle to pull out the buckle from between her legs. Food often found its way into the mechanism jamming it. It was a source of endless frustration for the blue-eyed little girl.

"Move your hands, Ness. I've got it." Gibbs gave it a firm yank and the buckle finally released and Janessa climbed over the seat, landing in her father's lap with a satisfied giggle.

"One day, I'm gonna gets stuck in there forever, daddy."

Despite his grouchy mood, Gibbs had to laugh at his pixie girl. She was sunshine and lollipops most of the time, and his heart cherished it. He often needed to remind himself not to spoil her because she was so easy going. Janessa needed guidance and discipline too. It just seemed like Aimee needed it constantly and frankly, it wore him down. He glanced back at Aimee who sat motionless with a scowl settling on her face and he sighed. It was going to be a long evening, and he was afraid it was going to end in tears. His heart pinched a little. He hated being the bad guy and lately, it felt like it was his permanent role when it came to Aimee.

Gibbs pressed a kiss onto the giggling, squirming little girl's brow. "How about you go wash the chocolate from your face, while Aimee and I have a little chat." Gibbs opened the car door and set the wiggly child to her feet. "We'll be inside in a minute. If you need help to reach the facecloths, just ask Mackie or Riley. They're around somewhere."

"I gots stuff on my face?" she asked, looking astonished. She put her fingers to her mouth and scratched at the chocolate sauce around her mouth.

Gibbs poked her nose. "You do…all the way up to your nose."

Janessa crossed her eyes trying to look at her nose, and Gibbs laughed out loud at the sight. He turned her around and shooed her towards the house with a playful swat to her backside. She squealed and skipped towards the house. Gibbs watched until she managed to open the door and disappear inside then he turned to glare at his pouting daughter.

"YOU, my friend, can knock that chip off your shoulder right now," he said sternly.

Aimee narrowed her eyes at him and turned her face towards the window.

Gibbs got out of the car, opened the passenger side door and leaned inside to look closer at his rebellious daughter. "We came home early because of your poor choices, not mine or Nessie's. We could happily be watching our movie right now…"

Aimee's head spun to face him with a mutinous glare. "Shut up." She puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms tighter. As if to make him more upset with her, she kicked off her shoes and one shoe flew in his direction.

Gibbs silently counted to 10, which he'd taken to doing far too often lately. Aimee had settled down a lot over the past month. He was thankful for that. He was also grateful and relieved that Aimee had stopped trying to run away every time he turned around, but her stubborn willfulness was something that never quite ever went away. It wasn't that Gibbs disliked her determination; he didn't. He admired her tenacity, but it also made him very weary; especially, when she chose to use it against him to get what she wanted.

It had started out as such a wonderful evening, something all three of them had looked forward to all week. Gibbs had promised to take them out to dinner and to see a movie. He had to admit it was for selfish reasons he'd done it. He didn't relish being home when Jenny arrived with Makayla's parents. He'd hoped to miss the theatrics of Julia Wallace. Knowing himself as well as he did, Gibbs knew he would put his foot in his mouth and make everything ten times worse. Gibbs was angry at how selfish Julia Wallace was when it came to her ideologies. Jenn's sister never listened to anyone. Julia had her opinions and no one else's mattered, including her husband and daughters. He saw a lot of the same penchants in Jenny as well, and if the truth was known, in himself. It was probably why it bothered him so much.

"You can stand there all night for I all care. I'm not going inside," huffed Aimee in an angry voice.

Gibbs would have liked to call her bluff on it, but he was already shivering in the wind. The temperature was dropping fast, and it was going to likely drop down to below freezing before the night was over. Too cold for a child to sleep in a car, even if he could trust her to stay put which he didn't.

"Too cold to stay out here," he said, not allowing his voice to betray his frustration with her.

"I don't care."

"You will when you have icicles growing from your nose." Gibbs saw her shiver a bit as well. Leaving the car door open had quickly cooled off the inside of the vehicle. Tears were pooling in the little girl's eyes, and he hoped she would relent and come inside. He'd made his point for the evening. Poor behaviour would only bring them home no matter what he'd promised. He was thankful that Janessa was content with ice cream. His youngest was an ice cream addict. If Janessa got ice cream, she was content and he'd made sure she'd gotten a heaping dish of it after dinner. The movie hadn't even been all that important the little girl. Had he denied her ice cream? It would have been a whole other story. He was smart enough to know he'd gotten off lucky in that respect.

"You're a meanie," Aimee whined, this time the tears spilled down her cheeks.

Gibbs' ire cooled a little as a gust of wind picked up behind him. He couldn't help but feel sorry for Aimee as he peered in at her. Her lower lip was trembling and she looked more dejected than rebellious now, which he hoped was a step in the right direction. Aimee was a feisty girl and her calling him a meanie was tame in comparison to some things he'd been called by her.

"I warned you…"

"I just took Nessie to the car," she attempted to explain, her eyes suddenly meeting his. "Nothing happened. Why do you have to make such a big deal about it?"

"Aimee, you very clearly disobeyed what I asked you to do. And it wasn't just once. Several times this evening you choose to disobey me, but the last time you put your sister's life in danger."

Gibbs felt his heart beat a little harder when he remembered. He'd told the girls to wait at the table while he paid the bill and used the washroom. The waitress had kindly said she'd keep an eye out for them but must have forgotten as the restaurant grew busier with evening guests. When Gibbs returned to the table, both girls were gone. Gibbs had kept his presence of mind enough to stay calm, but when he looked out the window of the restaurant, he saw Aimee leading Janessa across a very busy road to their parked car across the street. Two cars had slammed on their brakes to avoid hitting them as Aimee jaywalked quite boldly across the road. Thankfully, they'd made it safely but not before Gibbs had grown more grey hairs to match the rest on his head. When he arrived at the car, he scolded Aimee stating they were going home and Aimee was going straight to bed for her careless disobedience.

"I'm not a baby, Gibbs. I know how to cross the street without you holding my hand," she snapped in belligerence. Gibbs bit back an equally angry response. Aimee often reverted back to calling him Gibbs when she was upset with him. He chose to ignore it, but he couldn't overlook the disrespectful tone in her voice.

"Not the point. And for your information, Miss, two drivers slammed on their brakes to avoid hitting you! That was a very busy road and you had no business crossing right there. If you did know how to cross a road safety, you would have walked further down the street and used the crosswalk." Gibbs sighed heavily as he looked into his girl's deep blue eyes. He could see she seemed surprised by his words and he truly wondered if she hadn't even noticed the cars avoiding them. Could she have been that oblivious to the danger? "You disobeyed me, Aimee and that's not okay in my books. You're lucky I'm not putting you across my knee," he stated sternly, giving her a poignant glance.

His words made her face pale and she looked away from him again.

Gibbs heard the doorbell ring. Frowning, he looked up to see Janessa on the front porch standing on her tiptoes ringing the doorbell. "Ness, what are you doing?" he shouted above the wind so she could hear him.

She spun around, the wind whipping her hair into her face and eyes. She attempted to sweep it out of her face to no avail. He could see her mouth moving but the wind snatched her words away so he couldn't hear her response. She turned to ring the bell again. He shook his head wondering why Makayla or Riley hadn't stopped her. The front door was wide open and he gave up trying to figure out why Janessa felt she needed to ring the bell. He turned his attention back to Aimee who remained transfixed on staring out the window opposite to him.

"C'mon, Aims, we can talk about this inside. Your sister is heating all of Washington D.C."

Aimee shook her head obstinately. Gibbs puffed out his cheeks and straightened up to look towards his front door. Janessa continued to ring the doorbell and Gibbs shook his head in defeat.

He ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair and debated his choices. He could leave her in the car and hope she'd get cold enough to come inside or he could snatch her up into his arms and forcibly carry her inside. The latter was guaranteed to cause a rip roaring fight that would force him into doing something he'd regret. He knew his daughter and he knew he had to pick his battles carefully. It would be better if Aimee chose to go inside under her own steam.

"Okay, fine. Stay in the car. Come in when you're ready but don't even think about wandering off, Aims. I'm in no mood for any theatrics."

Aimee looked up at him, scowling once more, even daring to poke her tongue out at him. Gibbs chose to ignore it and walked towards the house. He walked up behind Janessa and scooped her up in his arms and she squealed in surprise.

"Why are you ringing the doorbell?" he asked her, cradling her like an infant so he could look into her eyes.

"I needs a facecloth."

Gibbs could see that the little girl still had ice cream around her mouth. "Why didn't you ask Mak to help you?" Gibbs peered into the house, wondering why Mak or Riley hadn't come to the door to see what the commotion was about or at least trying to stop the girl from ringing the blasted bell over and over.

Janessa shrugged and squirmed to get free. "I can't find her."

Gibbs set the child down and she immediately went to ring the doorbell again. He reached out and took her little hand in his. "No more, Ness. Let's go in and find them."

Janessa frowned. "They must be hiding."

Gibbs smiled at her. "Well, if they are, then they are making it a really fun game, dontcha think?"

Janessa considered his words for a moment then her face lit up. "I like hide and go seek. I'm gonna hide too. Bet you can't find me!" She ran into the house and shut the door in his face.

Gibbs couldn't help but chuckle. He reached out to open the door to find it locked. The little stinker had locked him out. He turned to look at his car to see that Aimee hadn't moved from her spot, not even to shut the door he'd left wide open. He'd hoped the cold air would encourage her to come inside sooner rather than later. He glanced at his watch to see that it was half past eight. Jenn would soon be back from the airport with Makayla's parents. He wasn't looking forward to being in the same room with Julia Wallace again. He still had a bad taste in his mouth from five years ago when they'd met.

Gibbs began to walk towards the garage and pushed the button on the side which opened the large door. He could gain entrance to his house via the door inside the garage. That door didn't even have a deadbolt on it so it could never be locked. He never locked his doors as a rule; that is until the girls came into his life. Now he did tend to lock the doors and garage, but he hadn't tonight knowing that Jenn was coming and that Mak and Riley were home. The large oversized door rose slowly and he groaned out loud when he discovered that his truck was missing.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thanks so much for all the reviews! I'm so happy to know so many of you enjoy my NCIS Universe and my OC's**_

_**I can't promise to update as quickly as this...just so happens that I have more written that needs editing...it's the editing that takes time :)**_

_**I plan to keep you all guessing...keep you all on your toes...plus my MUSE never tells me what's she thinking either. I'm always as surprised as you.**_

_**It snowed in Quebec last night...June 3rd...SNOW...global warming? This weather is crazy!**_

_**It went down to 3 C last night here...our furnace came on three times last night. I'm not complaining...I like cooler weather but it could warm up just a little.**_

_**Happy reading!**_

_**What do you think will happen with Makayla and Riley? First love or puppy love crush.**_

_**What will Gibbs say and do? **__**What is going to happen with Makayla's parents?**_

_**Without further ado...**_

Riley took a large bite of his banana split and grimaced making Makayla laugh out loud. "Brain freeze?" He frowned in pain and nodded working his tongue around to try to warm the sweet treat enough to swallow. "That will teach you to gobble your food like a wild animal," she teased.

He scowled at her good-naturedly. "Thanks a lot, Wallace. Nice to know I have an ally in the trenches."

Makayla laughed again. "Do you need one? Last time I looked, you weren't in the Marines anymore."

He looked at her incredulously. "Are you kidding me? I live with Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs. If that isn't the Marines, I don't know what is." Makayla could see the playfulness in Riley's eyes. Living with Gibbs wasn't like the Marines at all and she knew it. Gibbs was actually a pretty chill guy when he was on hiatus from NCIS. He seemed much more relaxed and the little girls seemed to bring out an inner youth in the man. Makayla hadn't known him that long but long enough to notice the difference. Taking a break from NCIS was doing Gibbs a lot of good.

"It's not that bad."

Riley's eyes twinkled. "The guy gets up at 0500 hours every day."

"So, does it kill you to get up early?"

Riley made a puppy dog face. "YES!"

Makayla laughed and licked her ice cream cone, shaking her head.

Riley took a sip from his soda. "It's nice to see you laugh, Mackie. I like your laugh. You've been pretty tense the past week or so."

"Was it that obvious?"

"Gibbs asked you three times to pass the ketchup and you didn't even flinch until he reached past you to get it and then you scowled at him."

"It's rude to reach in front of a person," she said in her defence.

"You almost bit his head off."

Makayla blushed at the memory. Gibbs had been pretty surprised at her outburst but thankfully hadn't reprimanded her. She feared what she would have said if he had. Picking a fight with him felt safe at least. Gibbs was at least halfway predictable. With her anyway.

"You're really worried about tonight, aren't you?"

Makayla wiped non-existent ice cream from around her mouth and stared at her strawberry ice cream as she twirled the cone in her hands. "It's gonna be bad, Riley." Makayla looked up at Riley's concerned eyes then relented some. Her story was cotton candy and skittles compared to Riley's and she knew it. "I'm sorry; I feel like I'm whining about scraping my knee when you've broken your leg."

Riley stirred his sundae thoughtfully. "Mak, comparisons aren't really fair. One never knows what it's like to be a person until you've walked in their shoes awhile."

Makayla chewed her lower lip as tears burned at the back of her eyes. Riley's compassion was only making her feel worse. Why did he have to act so mature? No other teenager boy she knew was ever this serious. Most of the boys at school were immature jerks. She was afraid she was going to dissolve into tears. She cleared her throat a little and swallowed down the emotions. "Talked to your mom at all?" she asked, changing the subject. Riley's eyes darkened a little making Mak regret the question. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

Riley shook his head. "No, no; it's not you." He sighed. "It's a point of contention between Gibbs and me, is all. He's always pressing me to call her and check in. The fact of the matter is I don't want to keep in contact with her. I know that makes me sound like a son of a bitch but I can't change the way I feel."

"Why are you so angry with her?"

"She left me alone with my dad. Everyone expects me to forgive her for that but I can't. I was 11 years old and my mother left me with a grieving drunken Marine washout. She said it was because I wouldn't stop interfering with him beating her." Riley laughed drily. "So, leaving me behind was supposed to somehow fix it so he wouldn't beat the crap outta me?"

"I'm sorry, Riley. That had to be tough. I can't imagine. My dad's never laid a hand on me. Having a few run-ins with Gibbs' hand was bad enough."

Riley regarded Makayla a moment, his face growing even more solemn. "Don't compare Gibbs spanking you with a beating, Mackie. There's no comparison. Yah, it sucks you got your butt roasted, but Gibbs did it because he cares about you and wants to keep you safe. I can certainly understand his reasoning, not that I agree with him. My dad punched the crap outta me with his fists. He hates me and blames me for my brother drowning. I'd much rather take a licking from Gibbs than my ole man."

Makayla's face paled. Ice cream from her cone dripped onto the table and she licked her cone to avoid making eye contact with the older boy. As much as she admired Riley, she did not want to discuss her confrontations with Gibbs. She was embarrassed enough that Riley even knew about it, but not much was secret with Aimee and Janessa around. They broadcasted everything to anyone who'd listen.

Riley scrubbed a hand across his face. "Ah, I'm sorry Mak. I didn't mean to get all heavy on you. I know it was no picnic for you either. Gibbs has his pig-headed moments."

"No, no, you're right. I have no reason to complain." She sighed, puffing out her lips. "Geez, all this tension is going to make me old before my time." She smirked at him. "You know, Rye, you just might get your wish for a licking from Gibbs when he finds out you took his truck." She was teasing but regretted it when she saw a look of fear wash over Riley's face. It was rare but Makayla had seen the haunted look a few times before when Riley was in a confrontation with Gibbs.

"Hey, Riley, I'm sorry…I was just kidding around. I'm sure Gibbs wouldn't…"

Riley waved her concerns away. "Forget it. Whatever happens, Gibbs and I will work it out. Don't worry about it. Like I said, Gibbs cares. My ole man didn't."

Makayla nodded but was quiet. The two of them exchanged some silent looks, each lost in their own thoughts. Just then Riley's phone chimed indicating he'd received a message. Riley pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at it, rolling his eyes and groaning.

"What's wrong?" asked Makayla when she noticed his expression.

Riley looked up from his phone. "Speak of the devil; we just got busted."

Makayla sighed and rested her arm on the table. "Gibbs?"

"Yah."

"Oh boy," she muttered. "What'd he say?"

Riley held up his phone so Makayla could read the message. Gibbs was not a big fan of texting normally. Usually, he would call if he wanted to speak to one of them, but tonight it was clear he wasn't in a good mood. His message was clear.

'_GET YOUR BUTTS HOME NOW_'

"Ouch. All caps! I bet he doesn't even realize he's yelling at you," said Makayla with a small smirk pulling at her lips. It was hard not to find humour in Gibbs' lack of social graces when it came to technology.

"The guy isn't exactly up to date on technology, but he's made it obvious that he's pissed. I think we should head home and face the music."

Makayla stood up and walked towards the garbage can, tossing out the rest of her cone. "We did leave a note. That should count for something."

Riley tossed the remains of his banana split into the trash and looked at his phone again when it chimed. "He found it."

Makayla looked at Riley's text messages once again. "You really think he's angry?"

Riley shrugged. "Yah, but he'll get over it. I told him we'd be home in 15 minutes. C'mon, let's go."

Makayla nodded and began to walk towards the exit of the ice cream shop. As she did, two guys dressed in military fatigues boisterously burst through the door forcing Makayla to take a step backward and bump into Riley. As she turned to apologize, she saw Riley's eyes widen in foreboding recognition.

"Trace?" whispered Riley, the colour draining from his face. He took Makayla by the hand and protectively pulled her closer to his side.

Makayla frowned and looked at his hand, her heart fluttering in her chest. Riley had never done that before; it was a new sensation but she didn't mind saying that she liked it. It was almost chivalrous of him to step in as her protector. She was so focused on Riley's warm hand embracing hers that she missed the reactions of the men who looked up to see Riley standing in their midst.

"Janssen? Is that you?" said the taller, more muscular of the two.

Riley nodded and also took a step back, pulling Makayla with him. "Hello, Trace." His voice sounded cold, which was unlike him.

The dirty blond haired man regarded Riley for a moment as if trying to recall a memory and then smiled eerily. "Well, as I live and breathe, Riley Janssen." The man pounded Riley on the back, making Makayla want to pull away but Riley held her hand tightly, refusing to let go. Makayla's mouth went dry as she fought back the fear crawling up her spine. "I never thought I'd see you again after you beat the shit outta your drill instructor and ran off. How the hell are you? Cooper," The man named Trace turned to his friend and introduced Riley to him. "This is that kid I was telling you. He's become a legend around Parris Island. As far as I know, it takes a hell of a lot for the Brass to admit one of their own is a piece of shit."

Riley shook the other man's hand kindly, appearing unfazed but Makayla could feel the moisture in his hand. Her pulse picked up speed sensing Riley's trepidation. It wasn't like Riley to be so anxious.

"Don't you think legend is a bit of a strong word, Trace?" asked the other man, Cooper, with a loud chuckle.

Riley appeared indifferent. "I thought you were deployed someplace in Iraq."

Trace smacked him on the back again with a haughty laugh. "We're back on leave. You should be with us, Janssen. We could use a guy like you in our unit." Trace stepped forward again, forcing Riley to step back again. This time Makayla caught a whiff of the beer on his breath. She took a quick glance around the room to see that the shop was empty other than the two girls at the counter who seemed occupied cleaning and chatting to one another. So far the altercation was pleasant enough to not arouse suspicion, but Makayla could feel Riley's tension. Trace and his companion were not welcome company.

"We should go, Riley. Gibbs is waiting for us," said Makayla, her voice shaky with uncertainty.

She immediately felt Riley squeeze her hand roughly. She grimaced as her pulse picked up further. Her eyes immediately flew to his. His look told her she should not say another word.

Trace turned his attention to her and he whistled. "Well, isn't she a pretty little thing. You out on a date, Janssen? Ain't that sweet, Coop?" Trace elbowed his friend who laughed. "Such a small town boy thing to do. Take your sweetheart out for ice cream." Trace reached out to brush the hair from away from Makayla's eyes. She shivered in spite of herself. "She's a pretty little thing too."

Riley pulled Makayla back and partly behind him. "She's a kid, Trace, and it's not a date."

Makayla felt her face burn. While she was frightened by the men, her heart ached a little at the thought of knowing that Riley saw her as a kid. She felt his hand tighten around hers when she attempted to pull away again. There was no way Riley planned to let go of her hand.

"It would be cool to catch up sometime. How long are you in D.C.?" asked Riley, his voice friendly but curt.

Trace wasn't going to be put off as he stepped around to get a closer look at Makayla.

"C'mon, Janssen, don't be like that. Friends share. Ain't that right, pretty lady?" Trace reached out and grabbed a handful of Makayla's long auburn hair and brought it to his nose. "That's some red hair you've got, Toots. Smells good too. What's your name?"

Ignoring Riley's crushing grip on her hand, Makayla stepped towards the drunken man. "My name is Makayla and if you would excuse us, Riley is taking me home." She pulled her hair free from his hand and flipped it behind her shoulders.

Trace laughed. "Ohh, she's a gutsy one, isn't she?" Trace licked his lips as he eyed Makayla up and down.

Riley pulled Makayla closer to him. "She's 14 years old, Trace; put your tongue back in your mouth and think a little before you get yourself in trouble." Riley's posture and demeanor looked threatening and Makayla shivered in spite of herself. She'd never seen Riley appear so intimidating. "Look, we can hook up another time when I'm not babysitting, okay? But right now, I need to take her home. Her father is expecting us."

Trace rolled his neck a little and straightened his uniform, regarding Riley and then glaring at Makayla. "She looks a hell of a lot older than 14 to me," he grumbled under his breath.

Makayla felt tears of humiliation burning in her eyes, but she stubbornly blinked them back. She didn't know if she should be frightened or angry. The guy, Trace, was a pig if she'd ever seen one and Riley's words were burning a hole in her heart despite the fact that she knew he was doing to keep her safe. Did he really only see her as a kid? They'd had such a fun evening together, and Riley had taken her mind off her parents coming home from England. She'd realized at that moment that she'd really started to have more than just friendly feelings towards him. Surely 14 years old wasn't too young for a 16-year-old to consider dating, was it?

"Looks are deceiving," Riley stated, his voice confident and commanding. He pulled out his phone and glanced at it briefly. Frowning slightly, he texted something quickly before looking up at Trace once again. "What's your number? I'll call ya."

Trace regarded Makayla for several moments longer before making eye contact with Riley once again. A smile slowly crept across his face and he slapped Riley on the back again with a loud guffaw. "Okay, I get it now, you dog, you. No need to run off someplace else, Janssen. The restrooms work just fine in a pinch."

Makayla shivered this time when Trace observed at her. It felt like he was undressing her with his eyes and it was making her stomach churn, threatening to make her ice cream reappear. Her fear was quickly overtaking her irritation at being called a kid.

"Get what?" said Riley glancing sympathetically in Makayla's direction.

Trace snickered. "You don't have to invent a story for me, man. Hey, we can guard the door for you." Trace took a quick glance at the girls still chatting behind the counter. "You could pay us back by doing the same."

This time Cooper chimed in, grabbing his friend by the shoulder. "Are you nuts, Trace? Those are little girls. C'mon, let's get back to base. We need to be up early."

Trace shrugged off his friend's hand. "Nah, I'm not going yet. Janssen here needs our help, doncha, man. Us leathernecks need to stick together. I heard your unit stood up for you at Parris Island. Ratted out that son of a bitch D.I. Like it or not, buddy, you're a damned legend. They nailed that guy to the wall. He ain't never working with recruits again. Damnedest thing I ever heard in all my born days. The scuttlebutt hasn't been this good in years." Trace laughed loudly. "Did he really waterboard you, Janssen? Damn."

Makayla blinked when she realized that the guy's words were getting more and more slurred, making it more difficult to understand him. Was it possible that his blood alcohol level was growing as he stood there?

"We're leaving, Trace." This time Riley pulled Makayla along with him as he attempted to sidestep the drunken man. Trace seemed to perk up and stand taller, shoving Riley backwards. Makayla swallowed hard as the situation grew more menacing. Riley stood his ground, his entire body growing rigid. Makayla blinked back tears of fear and pain as his hand gripped hers hard enough to hurt.

"You'll leave when I say you can, boy." Trace glared at him.

"No, I think they'll leave now."

Makayla's jaw dropped open and she blinked her eyes several times in relief when she saw Tony DiNozzo walk in with Tim McGee close behind. Both men looked very serious and like they had no time for nonsense. This time tears did escape down Makayla's cheeks. She attempted to pull her hand away from Riley's but he still wouldn't release his hold.

"Who the hell are you?" shouted Trace, spinning around to see Tony and Tim behind him.

Tony reached into his pocket and held up his badge for the inebriated man to see. "Special Agent Tony DiNozzo and this is my partner, Special Agent Timothy McGee."

Tim held up his badge as well with a pleasant enough smile.

Makayla sighed in relief when the men seem to back down.

Trace raised his hands in diffidently. "NCIS? Why the hell would you bother with us? We haven't done nothing."

"We hope to keep it that way, gentlemen," responded Tony in all seriousness.

Trace glared at Riley a moment, then looked at his friend. "Let's go, Coop. See ya around, Janssen. You can count on that."

With those words, Tony stepped aside and the two men quickly left the store. It was only then that Riley released his grip on Makayla's hand. She massaged it with her other hand and stood to stare after the men wondering what had just happened. It would be a while before she would stop trembling.


	3. Chapter 3

Riley was pensive when he entered Gibbs' house, and if he was being honest with himself, a little nervous as well. As much as he felt he knew Gibbs, he realized that he'd really only known the man for a couple of months; certainly not long enough to be able to judge the older man's every reaction. He inwardly cursed at himself for being bold enough to assume things where Gibbs was concerned. It was arrogant of him and it suddenly hit him how wrong he could be about his guardian. Makayla walked in ahead of him but was hauntingly quiet. Riley missed her constant chatter and it made him feel more uneasy that she refused to speak to him. Riley's pulse still had not returned to normal since his run-in with Trace. The ride back from the ice cream shop had been tense. Makayla was distant, and Riley couldn't tell if it was because of her impending reunion with her parents or if she was upset with him. He hadn't tried to explain things to her which probably added to her silence.

Tony and Tim had tried to get him to talk but he had rather rudely told them to 'back off'. As much as Riley wanted to clarify things, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Brad Trace was trouble; more trouble than Riley wanted now or ever. The guy had made life miserable for Riley, yet somehow he could never stand up to him. Trace hadn't even been in his unit, yet somehow the man had sought him out like some kind of prey. Something about the man reminded him of his father and that scared the shit outta him. Trace outranked him, outgunned him, ousted him in everything and seemed to have made it his lifelong goal to hound him. Now that Trace knew he was still in D.C., Riley would never have any peace again. Trace would find him. Riley had been desperate back then and made poor choices. He'd allowed Trace to sucker and manipulate him.

Seeing Makayla's tears and frightened expression as she looked at him only served to make him feel miserable. Riley knew he owed her an explanation, but he just didn't have it in him to do it. It would require too much of him.

"Are you okay, Mackie?" He whispered so only she could hear him.

Her eyes brimmed with tears but she shook her head. "I'm fine. Who were those guys, Riley? What did they want?"

Riley grimaced. "I'll explain later…I wouldn't have let them hurt you."

Makayla wiped away the tears in her eyes and managed a weak smile. "I know."

Tony and Tim came in behind them shutting the door and ushering the two teenagers into the living room. Gibbs sat on the sofa with Janessa in his lap, the two of them reading a book together.

"Boss, is there a reason why Aimee is sitting in the car?" asked Tim.

Gibbs shook his head with a loud sigh. "No good reason that makes any sense, but I'm glad to know she's still there. She's too stubborn to come in so I'm waiting until the cold chases her inside."

"Tony!" exclaimed Janessa, jumping from Gibbs lap and excitedly flinging herself into his arms.

"Hey, Monster!" said Tony, swinging her up into his arms and plastering her face with kisses. "Mmm, you taste like ice cream." She giggled as his bristly face rubbed against hers.

"You're just gonna leave her out there?" asked Makayla incredulously, forgetting herself. "She might run away again."

Gibb stood to his feet with a stern expression clouding his face. "You mean like you did?"

Riley stepped forward and raised his hand to stop Gibbs' tirade. "She didn't run away. Don't get all mad at Makayla, Gibbs. This is my fault, not hers."

"I didn't run away," echoed Makayla. "But I wanted too." She muttered those words under her breath when Gibbs hit her with a severe glare.

"They got held up by a couple of drunken Marines," offered Tony, arranging Janessa on his hip. "It was pretty intense when we walked in."

"I took Mak out for some ice cream to help get her mind off tonight. We left a note," Riley attempted to explain.

Gibbs held up a finger to silence him. "Note or no note, you don't take my truck without asking my permission first. Got it?" Gibbs' expression and tone brooked no room for discussion. Riley could tell he'd crossed a line with Gibbs. He'd misjudged the man and he regretted it. More than anything he wanted the man's trust, not his wrath. He'd had enough of that to last a lifetime.

He nodded. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd mind."

McGee cleared his throat. "Uh, Boss, do you want me to try and convince Aimee to come inside?"

Gibbs continued to stare at Riley sternly, his steely blue eyes intense. Riley couldn't tell what the man was thinking, and it made him feel very uncomfortable. With a barely distinguishable nod, Gibbs let McGee know he'd appreciate the help and that man disappeared from the room. The room was hushed as Gibbs continued to regard Riley closely.

"Geez, chill out, Gibbs," stated Makayla, breaking the silence. "You're acting like Riley broke the law or something. All he did was borrow your truck to drive 10 minutes down the road. We left a note so you wouldn't worry. You don't need to go postal on him."

This time Tony cleared his throat, placing a heavy hand on Makayla's shoulder. "Uh, how about you, Janessa and I go check out what we can find in the fridge to eat. Looks like the Bossman and Riley need to a few minutes alone to chat."

Makayla stood her ground and shrugged off Tony's hand. "Good idea, YOU and Nessie go get something to eat."

"Can we gets ice cream?" asked Janessa, her eyes widening at the prospect. She turned Tony's face to look at her. "I like ice cream."

Tony laughed, "I never would have guessed that, Squirt."

Gibbs' relaxed his shoulders a little and smirked in Tony's direction. "Don't let her trick you, DiNozzo. She's already had ice cream today."

Tony's eyes twinkled as he looked at the adorable little girl in his arms. "I could taste it when I kissed you, you little ice cream bandit." Tony blew kisses on her cheeks and took off running into the kitchen with Janessa giggling loudly in his arms.

Gibbs nodded at the sofa indicating that Makayla and Riley should sit down. Gibbs walked to the fireplace and turned to face them, his hands on his hips.

"Let's get something straight," he began but Riley stood up and once again held a hand up to forestall the older man.

"Look, Gibbs, I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd mind if I took the truck without asking as long as we left a note. Obviously, I was wrong. I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have assumed that and it won't happen again, but please don't lecture me right now because I'm not in the mood."

Gibbs narrowed his eyes a moment and looked from Riley to Makayla then back to Riley. Riley raked a hand through his hair, looking agitated and upset. Makayla's face was still pale and she shifted herself until she was at the far end of the sofa, as far from Riley as possible.

"What happened?" Gibbs asked, dropping his hands to his side.

Riley heaved a sigh and shook his head. "It was nothing I couldn't handle."

"Riley, look at Mackie and tell me you could handle it. She still looks half scared out of her mind."

Riley looked at Makayla and saw the fear still lingering in her eyes. It was obvious the girl had been frightened. He closed his eyes and put his hands on his hips, debating on how he should answer Gibbs. There was no way he wanted to discuss any more of his past as a recruit. He was trying to put it all behind him. At this point, he didn't think he would ever be able to stomach even thinking about having anything to do with the Marine Corps. He had learned a very long time ago how to sweep things under the rug and never deal with it. He wasn't about to change his coping mechanisms now.

"Riley," said Gibbs again.

"Just a couple of guys I knew from my recruit days. They were drunk but it was nothing I couldn't handle. Mak was perfectly safe." Riley grimaced when he heard the tension in his voice. His attempt at reassurance wasn't sounding very convincing, not even to himself. This wasn't going to go over well with Gibbs. Riley always did his best to hide his emotions from Gibbs. The man was already hinting about him getting counselling, and Riley did not want to go down that road any time soon.

"You okay, Mak?" asked Gibbs, this time the concern in his voice was evident as he walked over to sit in the oversized easy chair beside her. He reached out and patted her knee. "You're looking pretty peaked."

Makayla chewed her lip a moment and exchanged a look with Riley. Riley silently pleaded with her to not discuss what happened before Tony and Tim arrived. He wasn't sure how much Makayla caught on to, but if she mentioned Trace insinuations, Riley felt sure Gibbs would flip out on him. It was the last thing he needed. He willed her to make light of things for his sake. Makayla's green eyes stayed on his dark eyes for several moments before she turned to Gibbs.

"Yah, I'm fine. I'm just worried about seeing my mom, is all."

"You're sure?" asked Gibbs, reaching out to brush his hand across her cheek.

Riley's heart thumped in his chest. Gibbs didn't look convinced, and Makayla was still obviously not herself.

"Yah, I'm sure. Just don't freak out at Riley for taking your truck, okay? He only did it to help take my mind off things."

Gibbs dropped his hand into his lap and looked at her for a moment as if studying her to see if she was really alright. "Okay. How about you go relax for a bit, huh?" He glanced at the clock above the fireplace. "I'm thinking your Aunt Jenn will be here within the hour. She called earlier to say the flight had been delayed and it would take a while to get through customs. Go watch some TV in my room. It'll help take your mind off things."

Makayla looked at Riley in uncertainty and then back at Gibbs. "Promise me you're not going to go postal on Riley?"

Riley leaned back on the sofa, trying to look nonchalant. "It's okay, Mak. I'll be fine."

She sighed. "Fine, but I can hear everything upstairs loud and clear; just so's you know that." She stood to her feet and exited the room looking back at Gibbs with a cryptic glare.

Riley watched as she disappeared around the corner out of his view. He heard her run up the steps before he turned to look at Gibbs feeling nervous again. "I'm sorry, Gibbs."

Gibbs leaned back in the chair and crossed his leg over his knee. Riley tried to read him but he couldn't. The man was an expert at deadpan facial expressions. Riley comforted himself with the fact that Gibbs looked less antagonistic than before. That had to be a good thing.

"It takes a real man to ask for help when he needs it."

Riley puffed out his cheeks. He was glad Gibbs hadn't said anything when Makayla was in the room. He'd texted Gibbs to send help when he realized Trace wasn't going to allow them to leave. Riley had known he was over his head with Trace. There was no telling where that conflict was going and he hadn't wanted to take a chance on Makayla getting hurt.

"Tim and Tony arrived much quicker than I expected."

"They were in the neighbourhood checking out some leads on a case."

"I see."

"How bad was it really, Riley?"

"Bad."

Gibbs cleared his throat slowly. "And you don't want to talk about it with me, do you?"

"No, sir, I don't."

Gibbs considered him intently for several moments before saying, "Fair enough. I'm trusting that you will ask for help again if you need it."

Riley met his gaze and did his best to confidently nod his affirmation. He sincerely hoped there wouldn't be another time to ask for help but deep down he knew he was only fooling himself. Brad Trace was relentless before and he had no reason to expect it would be any different now. His only saving grace would be if the man was deployed again. That would give Riley time to figure something out.

"Now, about my truck."

Riley's pulse ramped up again. He'd been hoping Gibbs would let the subject drop but he was apparently mistaken. "I…"

Gibbs raised his hand. "Nope, me first."

Riley closed his mouth and nodded. He expected to be in trouble now that he'd given it some thought. The truck belonged to Gibbs. Riley hadn't gone for his licence since admitting his true age. His wallet carried a valid license but his age was still incorrect. Gibbs had already let him know in no uncertain terms that he didn't want him driving until the age matter was cleared up. Riley had avoided doing it and Gibbs didn't press. Things were likely about to change in that respect.

"Rye, I trust you. You're a decent kid with a good head on your shoulders. I'm not even gonna say 'but' here either."

"I'm sorry, Agent Gibbs, I really am."

"I know you are. I'm going to lay things out as clearly as possible. Simply put, I don't want you driving until you make things right. Understand me?"

Riley nodded.

"The question is do you want me to go with you or is this something you want to do on your own?"

Riley was silent a minute. He'd thought about it many times over the past few months. He'd had his licence for two years already, and he simply didn't want to redo the process. He didn't think he should have to either. He was a good driver. He didn't see why he couldn't just continue driving without needing to redo the process.

"What if I don't want to?" he asked quietly, his heart pounding in his chest. It took a lot of guts for him to stand up against authority. He usually just kept the peace, followed orders without question and worked hard to blend into the woodwork. It hadn't worked with his D.I. or Trace for that matter but, the truth of the matter was, he didn't want to be a peacekeeper all the time anyway. Sometimes you had to fight for your rights. Maybe Gibbs was a safe place to try his hand at voicing his own opinion.

Gibbs looked resolute. "It's not up for debate."

Riley cringed. He hated to press his luck but he thought the whole thing was ridiculous and a complete waste of his time. He forced himself to swallow his anger. He didn't relish getting into a squabble with Gibbs. He'd promised himself to keep his nose clean and out of trouble. He didn't need any more grief.

"You want to know what I think, Rye? I think this has become a pride thing for you. You don't want to admit you lied about your age…"

"I didn't lie!" Riley spat out indignantly. He hadn't lied, at least not intentionally. His age had become his reality from the time he was 10…he'd become 12 overnight. It had never been his conscious decision to deceive people. It just happened. Granted, he didn't do anything to correct it. The advanced age worked in his favour, making it much quicker to escape his father's fists.

Gibbs dropped his foot to the floor and also sat forward. "Let me rephrase that then…"

Riley stood to his feet. "No, don't bother; I get it. I just don't agree that it's necessary, all right?" Riley took a few steps around the sofa and stared out the large bay window. The maple tree in the front yard was bare now after all the stunning leaves had let go. He could see McGee sitting in Gibbs' car with Aimee. He could also see another figure in the backseat on the other side, but he couldn't make out who it was. He narrowed his eyes and leaned against the glass to get a closer look.

Gibbs came up behind him. "Riley, integrity is important. A man is known for his honesty. We have worked hard to set things right with everything else, and I believe you need to set the record straight in this as well."

"Abby?" muttered Riley, no longer wishing to listen to Gibbs rattling on about integrity and his licence.

"What about her?" asked Gibbs, also looking out the window, following Riley's line of sight.

"Looks like she and Tim are working together to convince Aimee to come inside. What happened with her anyway?" Riley hoped to distract Gibbs enough to get him to drop the subject.

Gibbs put his hand on Riley's shoulder, and Riley knew then that his ploy to distract hadn't worked even a little.

"Are we clear on this, Riley?"

Riley heaved an irritated sigh and shook off Gibbs' hand. "I got it. No driving until I straighten out my age on my license. Can I go to my room now?"

"Actually, yes, you can…your room at the front is not quite finished, but I think it's ready enough for you to bunk there from here on in. Think you could work at moving your stuff outta my closet?" Gibbs smirked at him a little and Riley could tell it was not said in a mean spirited way. "Nice sweatshirt, by the way. I have one just like it."

Riley blushed and opened his mouth to explain but Gibbs waved his hand to stop him. "Riley, I'm kidding around; you need to lighten up a little, kiddo. Take a joke when it's tossed at you."

Riley relaxed his shoulders and rewarded Gibbs with a grin.

"That's better. I installed a lock on the door this morning. I have a feeling you're gonna need it to keep Janessa out. She's the midnight bed bandit."

This time Riley did laugh. "I noticed. Your bed is a little too small for you, me and Janessa, especially when she likes to sleep sideways."

Gibbs chuckled.

Riley began to relax as Gibbs looked out the window. The man elbowed him and pointed to Aimee getting out of the car under her own steam.

"Looks like whatever they said worked," said Riley.

"Appears so. I'm gonna head up and take a shower. It'll give Aimee some time to come inside and save face. She doesn't need me here breathing down her neck when she's so combative."

Gibbs patted Riley on the shoulder and made a beeline for the stairs before Aimee could make it up the walkway and come inside.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hey Readers,**_

_**I guess my last chapter wasn't all that exciting LOL**_

_**Thanks for the review from DS2010 :)**_

_**They say trouble comes in threes, right? Well, my husband's windshield was broken while he was at work (mysteriously a rock cracked it?), the lawn tracker gave up the ghost and our central air conditioner died. Sigh. **_

_**Life is a journey...and with so many changes next year, I guess I've internalized some stress and gave myself shingles! *ugh***_

_**I'm glad I have this little universe to retreat into when life tosses lemons at me. **_

_**The good news is school is done on Friday. YAY! Let the summertime refresh me.**_

_**Sept is a long time away and I need a rest. **_

_**Now that I'm done whining...I hope you enjoy this chapter...Makayla's parents have returned home...dun, dun, dun. Let the good times roll...**_

_**Enjoy!**_

Gibbs tied his housecoat as he wandered out of the family bathroom, padding down the hallway in his bare feet and knocking on his bedroom door. He could faintly hear the television in the background.

"It's not locked," said a small voice.

Gibbs opened his door to see Makayla curled up on his bed watching a movie as he'd suggested. He offered her a warm smile which she timidly returned. His heart ached when he saw how unsettled she looked. Her parents should have returned right away rather than letting the young teen stew for so long. Gibbs was proud of how Makayla had risen up and stood accountable for cheating at school. It had taken a lot of guts for her to speak with the headmaster at Xavier and make amends. Makayla's bravery should stand alone without any further reprimand, but Gibbs knew that thought was too good to be true. Julia Wallace would have her say and if her husband shared some of Makayla's earlier escapades, Gibbs figured it was going to be nuclear.

"Whatcha watching?" he asked, glancing at the television curiously.

"You took a shower? You could have used your own shower, Gibbs," Makayla said looking concerned.

Gibbs waved away her concern. "Trust me; my motives were purely selfish. Janessa took a bath in my tub last night, and she used paint crayons to draw me pictures. I haven't had time to clean it yet."

Makayla stifled a laugh but then couldn't hide it any longer when she snorted.

Gibbs lifted a brow in amusement. "You think it's so funny? Maybe _you_ should clean my tub. Those damned things are impossible to scrub off, especially the red."

"Who bought them for her?" said Makayla, not trying very hard to mask her amusement.

"DiNozzo."

"Figures. I say you make_ him_ clean your tub," she snickered.

Gibbs smirked, grabbed some clothes out of his closet and disappeared into his washroom. Having Tony clean it up wasn't a bad idea. He swore Tony did it on purpose as a prank anyway. Tony was notorious for his silly pranks. It made Gibbs want to head slap him into the middle of next week. "Not a bad idea." He laughed again at the thought of Tony on his knees scrubbing his tub. "You didn't tell me what you're watching," he commented through the closed door. He pulled on his jeans and t-shirt as he spoke.

"Just some sappy chick flick. You wouldn't like it," came her soft reply.

"Try me," he said as he walked back into the room, running a hand through his still damp hair.

"The Lucky One."

"Never heard of it."

Makayla didn't look surprised by his admission which made him chuckle. Was he that predictable? If it wasn't an old black and white western or a classic movie, Gibbs likely hadn't heard of it. He much rather preferred books to television, hence the black and white TV in his living room. He'd broken down and bought the small coloured one in his bedroom for the times he needed a way to calm Aimee down. It served him well when she needed down time from the rest of the goings on of the household.

Gibbs regarded Makayla for a moment, seeing her curled up in his bed looking like she'd lost every last friend in the world. "Are you okay, Mackie?"

The tears hovering at the surface sprang to her eyes and she shook her head. "No." Her lower lip trembled as she wiped at the tears that were betraying her. "My mom is going to come in like a raging lion, Gibbs, and I'm going to lose it on her. I just know it."

He sat down on the bed beside her and patted her leg gently. "I'll make a little confession." She looked up at him curiously. "I'm afraid your dad is going to punch my lights out before the night is over."

"Why?"

Gibbs leaned against the back of his bed and Makayla crept closer, resting her head against his chest. Gibbs put his arm around her and hugged her. "About 5 years ago, I met your mother for the first time. Your aunt wasn't at NCIS yet, and the director at the time brought your mom in on a tough case. She's a damned good attorney, I'll give her that much."

Makayla nodded. "She and my dad are both good at what they do. It's why they travel so much. People really value their knowledge."

"I can understand that. I had no idea your mom was Jenn' sister when I met her, although I should have guessed; the resemblance is uncanny. You look like your mom too by the way."

Makayla smiled and Gibbs ran a hand through her unruly hair. Julia Wallace was a stunningly beautiful woman, so he knew that Makayla would be flattered to know that he thought she looked like her mother.

"Anyway, to make a long story short, there is no love lost between your mother and me."

"Agent Gibbs, there is no love lost between her and me right now either."

Gibbs was struck silent by the young teen's words. It was a sad statement and he had nothing to say to it. He could only pray that Julia Wallace had come to her senses over the past few weeks or so and realize that her daughter was just that—her daughter and not some kind of puppet to be controlled.

Just then a knock was heard at his door.

"Come in," he said and the door opened to reveal Abby's smiling face.

"Hey, Abbs, how's Aimee?"

As Abby entered the room and closed the door, Gibbs took in how she was dressed and frowned with concern. All her usual flamboyant Gothiness was gone replaced by blue jeans and a green t-shirt with no logo. Her hair was down, lying softly on her shoulders and she wore very little makeup. She looked so un-Abby like that it caught him off guard a little and then it troubled him. The last time Abby changed her appearance so drastically, some guy had dumped her. Gibbs wasn't up to dealing with that again. For as much as Abby was brilliant, she was very sensitive and it took very little to upset her equilibrium.

"Timmy's gonna make a great dad someday, Gibbs. He managed to convince her to come inside. Whatever's bothering her seems to have passed. She's laughing and goofing around with Nessie and Tony now." Abby paused a moment, pressing her lips together and wringing her hands in the distinctive way she did when she was upset about something. "I thought you should know that the director's car just pulled in the laneway." Gibbs felt Makayla instantly tense up but he hugged her tightly, hoping to alleviate some of the tension.

He pressed a kiss on the top of her head and whispered, "You can do this, kid. I have faith in you." Gibbs slid off the bed and turned to look at Makayla encouragingly. "I'm heading downstairs. You come down when you're ready."

Makayla's bottom lip trembled but she nodded. "Gibbs?"

"Yah?"

"Are you gonna be mad at me if I lose my shit?"

Gibbs had to bite his lip to keep his expression neutral. Makayla's choice of words caught him off guard but he saw it for what it was: a desperate attempt to have some semblance of control. He knew she was fed up and angry about the situation. He sympathized with her. Gibbs was silent a moment and then he shook his head. "I'm not going to be mad."

"What if I take off?"

"Is that what you're planning?" He couldn't prevent the tone in his voice from coming across sharp. Makayla winced but didn't take back her words. It was better she expressed the truth now and he knew it as much as she did. His heart skipped a beat in his chest. Makayla wasn't his but if she took off, he couldn't be held responsible for what he'd do; kicking her ass clear across D.C. was the first thing that came to mind. He couldn't bear anymore running away. It had become his Achilles heel.

Makayla looked him in the eye, her tear-filled orbs pleading with him to understand. Gibbs heaved a sigh as he searched deep in his heart to hear what she wasn't saying. She wasn't telling him she wanted to run away; she was telling him she needed a plan in case it was necessary to have an escape plan. It was a fair question and he did understand.

"If it gets to that point, run up the stairs and come here."

"Your room?"

He nodded. "I will stop your parents from bothering you until you're ready to talk again. Okay?"

She considered him a moment and then nodded. "Okay."

Gibbs slipped an arm around Abby's waist and escorted her to the door once again. Abby pulled back a little and Gibbs frowned as he looked at her. "Abbs? You coming?"

The dark haired woman shook her head. "I want to stay here, Gibbs."

"Is something the matter?"

"No. No, what do you ask?"

Gibbs gave her one of his best 'dad' looks. The one that told her that he was on to her and that he knew something was the matter. He saw the blush creep up her neck and into her cheeks. Abby was an open book to him. He didn't know what was wrong; he just knew something was. He didn't have the time at the moment to dig deeper but he wanted her to know that he knew she wasn't okay and as soon as he had a few minutes, he would be back. Their eyes exchanged more than words could. He leaned in and kissed her cheek and left the room.

~~~NCIS~~~

Gibbs reached the bottom of the steps as the door swung open and Jenny walked in. One look at her told him that things were worse than he thought. Her eyes were wild like a caged animal, a mixture of fury and fear. Her eyes met his and she turned to shut the door. No one was behind her.

"Where are the Wallace's?" asked Gibbs, walking forward and reaching to take Jenny's coat. He hung it on the nearby coat tree as she stomped off her shoes on the mat.

"In the midst of a stellar argument. I've got to give Mike a lot of credit for putting up with my sister. Julia is a real treat."

Gibbs took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck. He'd been hoping that things wouldn't spiral out of control but it didn't look good.

"This is ridiculous, Jenn. I don't want a big blow up in front of my girls. Does Julia know about Janessa and Aimee? Why don't you take Mike and Julia to your place for the night and come get Mak in the morning?"

Jenn shook her head. "I tried, Jethro, but Julia is hell-bent on speaking with Makayla tonight. She already feels like this has gone on for too long."

"It has! They should have come home a month ago for Pete's sake."

"You know their hands were tied in that respect, Jethro. They couldn't have returned to the states even if they'd wanted to, and I know Mike wanted to."

"That little girl is a bundle of nerves because of that woman."

"Julia was angry that I didn't bring Makayla with me. I tried to explain but as usual, Julia doesn't listen to anyone."

Gibbs groaned. "What good would it have done to have her with you? All Julia would have done is made a public spectacle out of herself. Mackie doesn't need that. So help me, if she gets out of hand…"

Jenn raised a hand. "Mike will step in. He's already promised me that he will rein her in if need be. He's been doing that since college. He was used to talking her down."

"I'll put her on her ass, Jenn. I swear I will." Gibbs' voice was low but adamant. If Julia Wallace picked a fight with him in his house, she would lose and it wouldn't be a pretty affair.

Jenny rolled her eyes and shook her head in defeat, walking towards the living room. Gibbs watched after her knowing his words hadn't given her any assurance that they weren't all headed into a war zone. Gibbs turned to look at himself in the mirror above the side table. He had to chuckle at his expression. He looked like he was ready to pulverize someone, certainly not the welcoming host he should be, by any means. He needed to dial back his agitation and maybe it would help not feed into Julia's wrath. As Gibbs turned to move to the living room, a solid knock was heard at his door.

"Showtime," he muttered under his breath. Whatever was going to happen was going to happen now; all he could do was his best to keep things civil. He could outlast anyone in interrogation. Surely, he could keep things above the belt with Julia Wallace too…if he didn't strangle her first.

Gibbs reached out and opened the door.

"Jethro Gibbs, so nice to see you again," said the auburn-haired man with the matching well-kempt beard in his doorway. Gibbs couldn't help but smile when he saw Mike. He really liked and respected Mike Wallace. He was a personable, kind man with a warm countenance. Gibbs had only meant him once or twice in passing, but he'd always been left with a pleasant enough impression of the man.

Gibbs shook Mike's hand and ushered him inside, followed by his less than warm and friendly companion.

"Good to see you too, Mike. Julia." He smiled at Mike and nodded in Julia's direction. The formidable woman ignored him and pushed past her husband.

"Where is my daughter, Jethro? I want to speak with her right this instant."

Gibbs felt his back go up despite how hard he'd prepared himself. He had to work even harder not to snap at her when he spoke. It wouldn't solve anything. He needed to stay even-tempered, no matter what the woman tossed in his direction.

"Nice to see you as well, Julia. How was your flight?" He reached out to take Mike's jacket and Julia's as well, but the woman recoiled from his reach and shooed his hand away.

"No need for that. We won't be staying. I've come to pick up Makayla and go home."

"Julia," said Mike, his voice holding a weary warning. He turned to shut the door before wrapping an arm around his wife. "We have time to visit for a little while, besides, we haven't met Gibbs' daughters yet."

Julia heaved a loud weary sigh. "Oh, yes, that's right. My sister mentioned you adopted a couple of little girls. Who lost their head and gave you custody of two children? What are you now, Jethro? Fifty? Getting a little old for such things, aren't you?"

"Julia!" This time Mike's voice sounded exasperated.

The stunning auburn-haired woman exchanged a heated look with her husband and marched away from them towards the living room, calling after her sister.

"I'm sorry, Gibbs. Julia isn't usually so…"

Gibbs waved his hand. "Forget it. Mike, you fail to recall that I've worked with her before. She is exactly as I remember her."

Mike's shoulder's drooped and Gibbs felt sorry for the man. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and patted the man on the back in a friendly gesture. "Forgive me, I know it's been a long flight and everyone is tired. You guys must be jetlagged. How about a drink?"

Mike's smile warmed. "Now you're talking. I can't even remember my name anymore."

Gibbs chuckled.

"Daddy!" shouted a voice from behind them.

Gibbs turned to see Makayla bound down the steps and threw herself at her father. Gibbs couldn't help but break into a big grin when he saw Makayla relax in her father's arms. It affirmed all he had hoped for Mak. Mike wasn't angry with the girl. At least Makayla could count on her dad to listen to her.

"Mmmm, Kayla," murmured Mike as he embraced his little girl and twirled her around. "You feel so good in my arms. I've missed you and Melissa so much." Mike planted a kiss on the top of Makayla's head before setting her back down to her feet.

"Have you seen Missy yet?"

Mike shook his head. "No. I texted her and told her not to wait up. She arrived home yesterday I think."

"She's at home?" asked Makayla, her face still pale.

"Yes. Your mother and I felt it would be good for us to all be together for Christmas."

Makayla pursed her lips and worked hard to blink back tears. "Yah, that'd be nice."

Mike tipped up her chin. "Hey, why the tears?"

Gibbs stepped forward and put a hand on Makayla's shoulder in comfort. "Mak's feeling very anxious about this reunion."

Mike looked at Gibbs and then his daughter, wiping away a tear with his thumb. "Everything is going to be fine, Kayla. I promise." He winked at Makayla and she managed a weak smile. Mike pulled her into another tight embrace. "Gibbs told me about everything you've done to make amends. I, for one, am super proud of you. It took a lot of guts to talk to the headmaster by yourself."

At his words, Makayla broke into sobs. Mike looked up at Gibbs with questions marks in his eyes. Gibbs nodded, speaking volumes in his silence. Makayla was past being upset; she was beside herself with worry.

Mike pulled Makayla away from him. "Hey, now, you're working yourself up, Kay. Calm down. It's not going to be that bad. Your mom is upset but we'll sit down and talk. We'll work it out, sweetie."

"N-no, daddy. W-we w-won't," choked out Makayla.

Gibbs bit the inside of his cheek as he watched Makayla trying hard to explain herself through the cascade of tears and sobs.

"I d-don't want to go back to Xavier…"

"Stop this nonsense at once, Makayla Grace," stated a stern voice from behind them.

Gibbs turned to see Julia walk back into the foyer followed by Jenn. Gibbs could see the exasperation on Jenn's face. Julia looked irate and not like she had much patience left if she ever had any to begin with. Julia took Makayla by the arm gruffly, turning her to face her and shook her.

"Of course you will go back to Xavier. Enough of your hysterics."

Gibbs had to stop himself from going to Makayla's rescue as Julia gripped her arm so tightly that it must have hurt.

"I-I hate it there, Mom," Makayla attempted to explain through her sobs.

"Julia, aren't you even going to say hello to Kayla before you start scolding her?" groused Mike, coming up behind his wife and putting a firm hand on hers attempting to get her to release her grip on their daughter. "Let her go; you're hurting her."

Julia glared at him and jerked his hand away. She turned to Makayla and continued her tirade. "I'm so ashamed of you, young lady. Do you know how hard your father and I work to keep you in that exclusive private school? Do you realize how long we had to wait to get you and your sister in that school? And you had the nerve to cheat? Do you understand how that will look on your academic record?"

Makayla blinked back tears as they streamed down her cheeks.

"Now, Julia. Kay's only in 8th grade. This little indiscretion isn't going to follow her into secondary school…"

"The hell it won't! Michael, you and I both know that Ivory league schools aren't going to take a second look at her if she had demerits for cheating…" Julia shook Makayla again. "What were you thinking?"

Makayla's bottom lip trembled. "I-I'm sorry, Mom. I just lost my head for a m-minute. I-I wanted t-to…I-I just got so…"

Julia looked at her and narrowed her eyes. "And what's this about giving your aunt such a hard time? Your father told me about some of the shenanigans you've been up to while we were away. Trying to run away to New York of all things. Shame on you! What the hell were you thinking?"

Makayla dropped her chin but remained quiet.

"Julia, let's go sit down and discuss this calmly," suggested Jenn, trying to lighten up the tension. "Makayla hasn't been any trouble since that episode. I've quite enjoyed having her stay with me."

"I'll make some coffee if you'd like," offered Gibbs, his heartbreaking for Makayla. It had to be both embarrassing and humiliating to be scolded so sternly in front of everyone.

Julia seemed to ignore them all. She grabbed Makayla's chin firmly in one hand. "I'm told Agent Gibbs spanked you as well. Is that true?"

Gibbs felt his neck grow hot. This topic of conversation made him feel very uncomfortable. It hadn't been his right and Makayla's parents had every right to hold him accountable for that. He exchanged a brief look with Jenn who waved a dismissive hand at him. Jenny had been the guardian in charge of Makayla and she had granted permission.

"Julia, we already talked about this," said Mike, irritation in his voice. "You don't need to humiliate the girl any further. I'm sure she is embarrassed enough when it happened. It's all water under the bridge now." Mike looked in Gibbs direction. "Agent Gibbs and I discussed it, and I bear no grudges against him."

Julia clucked her tongue. "Neither do I but perhaps we should take a page out Jethro's book. You're too easy on the girls, Michael."

Mike threw up his hands in frustration and shook his head.

Makayla blinked back more tears. "I-I asked Head Master Jenkins to forgive me, Mom. I-I admitted what I did…he-he…"

Julia shook her again. "I've never been so ashamed of you in your life, Makayla Wallace. Whatever possessed you to even think of cheating on an exam?"

Gibbs cleared his throat. This was getting ridiculous, and he couldn't bear to stand and watch it any longer. "Did you hear what she said, Julia? She took responsibility for herself and spoke to the Head Master. That takes a lot of courage. You should be proud of her for that."

Julia dropped her hand, freeing Makayla's chin. The girl took a step back towards the steps and Gibbs couldn't blame her. If the girl retreated up the steps, he would do his damnedest to make her parents leave for the evening.

"Proud? You think I should be proud of a liar and a cheat? Is that how you plan to raise your children?"

Gibbs heaved a sigh and was about to respond when he noticed Riley step into the foyer.

"Makayla isn't a liar or a cheat," stated Riley firmly, stepping forward and putting himself between Makayla and her parents. "She made a mistake. People make mistakes. It's how a person makes amends for those mistakes that counts. Mak had been working her a…butt off to make up for it." Riley stumbled over his words and Gibbs sighed. "She's been doing extra assignments and staying after school. She's been using her free time to study when she'd rather be drawing. Math and science have its place but what would the world be like without art?"

Julia scowled and stared at Riley. "I beg your pardon. Who are you, and why is my daughter any of your affair?"

Gibbs bit his tongue to stop from scolding Riley. He admired the boy's determination to stand up for Makayla, but in this case, it would only add fuel to an already raging fire.

"Riley, back off," Gibbs said quietly, hitting the boy with a look that spoke volumes.

Riley exchanged that look but instead of backing down as he should, he ignored Gibbs and kept his place. "I'm Riley Janssen and Makayla is my friend. She's been worried sick…"

Gibbs put his hand on Riley's shoulder and squeezed it firmly. Riley needed to back down now and Gibbs planned on getting that point across to him without making a scene.

"Riley, let the adults handle this."

Julia's eyebrows rose in sudden realization. She turned to Makayla and stepped towards her. "This is about your silly drawings, isn't it? That's why you tried to run off to New York. To look at that art school you've been begging me to let attend next year."

Makayla stepped forward. "No, Mother, I promise it isn't. I-I haven't given it…"

Mike stepped forward as well. "Julia, we discussed this already. Makayla's drawings are just a hobby…"

From the corner of his eye, Gibbs saw Riley's face redden. As he reached out to grasp the teenager by the forearm, Riley stepped out of his reach and planted himself right in the Wallaces' personal bubble.

"Have you seen her artwork?" he demanded in a voice Gibbs had never heard from Riley before. By the dampness on the boy's forehead, Gibbs could see Riley was out of his element as well.

"Riley," Gibbs said softly.

"No, Agent Gibbs; they need to hear this." Riley reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper and held it out to Julia. "Go on, take it. Look at it."

Makayla's face went white when she saw the paper Riley handed over. She looked on the verge of panic. She stepped forward to snatch the drawing but Riley held it out of her reach. It wasn't difficult considering she was barely 5 foot and he was approaching 6.

Julia waved her hand. "This is ridiculous. I don't care if she's good at doodling or not. I will not have my daughter squander her education over something so silly." Julia turned to Makayla and reached for her forearm. Before Makayla could step back again, Julia had her in her grip. She spun the girl around and shook an angry finger in her face. "I warned you, young lady. If this art nonsense became a problem, you would be done with it. Well, as of right now, you are done. I will call the school in the morning and have you removed from your art classes."

Makayla blinked. "What? No! No, mom, please!" She sobbed and grabbed onto her mom's forearm in desperation. "Please, mom. I-I'm so sorry. I won't ever do it again. Please!"

"I've had quite enough of this, Michael. Take us home."

"Mommy, please," begged Makayla.

"Stop your dramatics at once, Makayla or I will take a page out of Agent Gibbs' classic book."

Gibbs noticed Makayla clench her fists. He could tell she was beginning to lose control of herself. "But, Mom, you can't do this…"

"I can and I will. I warned you, young lady." Julia's face was deadpan.

Gibbs felt tears burn at the back of his eyes. His heart was breaking for 'd called things exactly. Julia Wallace wasn't going to back down.

Makayla backed away and covered her face sobbing.

Julia sighed. "You're acting like a child, Makayla. Stop making a spectacle of yourself!"

Makayla looked up at her father pleading with him. "Daddy?" she whimpered.

"Julia, you're being completely ridiculous here. Makayla has done everything she can to make up for her mistake," began Mike, reaching out to pull Makayla into a hug.

Julia glowered at him. "Don't tell me I'm being ridiculous. Your daughter almost ran away to New York by herself. What if she had succeeded in that? Anything could have happened to her."

"Look at the drawing, Mrs. Wallace," insisted Riley stepping towards her once again. "It's not a doodle. It's talent! Mak is good!"

"She didn't succeed, Julia. Jenn and I handled that and Mackie is safe," added Gibbs, hitting Riley will a penetrating glance to back off. Riley scowled at him making Gibbs take a step back. Riley's behaviour regarding Makayla was surprising him. Maybe the two of them had grown closer than he realized.

Julia heaved a loud sigh and crossed her arms. "Are you going to take me home or not?" she asked her husband once again.

Mike sighed in consternation. Jenn looked exasperated as she exchanged a look with her brother-in-law. No one was winning this altercation. "Jenny, can I borrow your car to bring Julia home?"

Makayla pulled away from her father suddenly and gave her mother a push. Not hard but enough to make the woman take a step backward. "I hate you! You never listen to me! It's always the same ole thing. This is why I've been so damned sick to my stomach waiting for you to come home!"

Julia looked aghast. "How dare you?" she muttered in shock.

Makayla shook a fist at her mother. "I should have gone to New York. Then you wouldn't have found me. All you care about is what people think of you. You don't care about me at all. It's all about Julia Wallace. If you care so much about science, why don't you take it and become that brilliant doctor you seek so badly." Makayla's voice was reaching a shrieking level now.

Gibbs puffed out his cheeks. He couldn't blame Makayla for losing her cool but pushing her mother was a step further than he thought she'd go. She was really losing control of herself. He wished he could wrap his arms around her and help her calm down.

"Makayla," warned Mike stepping forward in an attempt to calm her down. "Pushing and yelling at your mom isn't going to solve anything. Calm down."

Makayla scowled at her father. "Leave me alone. You're no better. You promised everything would be okay. You're a liar!" She screamed.

"Makayla, listen to me…"began Mike, trying to keep his voice under control.

"Just leave me alone!" she shrieked again. "I hate you!"

"That'll be enough of that," warned Mike, reaching out to take her by the arm.

Makayla turned to look at Gibbs, angry tears covering her cheeks and blurring her vision. "I'm sorry, Gibbs," she said and then ran to the front door.

"Mak!" shouted Gibbs, his heart in his throat. "Running away isn't going to solve this."

"I don't care!" she yelled.

She flung open the door as Mike reached out to stop her, but she was gone into the darkness before he could catch her.

"Makayla Wallace, get back here," Mike shouted out the door.

Riley reached out and grabbed Julia's hand roughly, shoving the paper into the palm of her hand. "Look at it, damned it!" He ran to the door but stopped and turned to face Gibbs when the older man called his name. "I'm going after her." Riley's face was determined.

"Riley, lemme grab my keys. We'll look for her together." He turned to Jenn. "Let DiNozzo know. Can you watch the girls until I get back?"

Jenn nodded, her face pale and her hand over her mouth.

"I'll come too," said Mike, grabbing his jacket from the coat tree. He turned to his wife, "Stay here until we get back and keep your phone on in case we need to contact you."

For once, Julia was struck silent. Her face had paled.

"Get Tim to track the GPS on her phone." Gibbs had made sure Tim had installed a hidden GPS app on Makayla's phone. He wasn't fooling around with runaway kids anymore. Aimee's kidnapping had taken years off his life.

"I will."

Gibbs grabbed his keys from the drawer and grabbed his jacket. He stepped into Julia's personal bubble. "Look at the damned drawing, Julia and listen to your daughter or you're gonna lose her."

With those final words, Gibbs, Riley and Mike Wallace disappeared out into the night.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hi readers,**_

_**Thanks so much for the reviews and private messages. You are the best! Shoutout to Mindless Creations, KrisShannon, DS2010, Agent222, Guest, TracyTravis, and AureaD...thanks for your encouragement. Reviews keep me motivated to write and often give me ideas for plot. KrisShannon gave me a plot idea...definitely an intriguing idea. :)**_

_**Guest...I'm so sorry to hear you were in the hospital. Are you okay? Nothing serious I hope. I'm glad that my story can bring you some smiles are you recover.**_

_**Shingles are going much better...but, man alive, they are itchy. **_

_**Our central air unit is definitely dead *sniff* My wonderful husband did what he could to revive it for another year but to no avail...window air conditioners it is this year. The central air owes us nothing. It's the original from when the house was built. Thankfully, we have a few window units kicking around. As long as we can seek a reprieve from the heat when it gets hot, I'm happy.**_

_**The good news is I'm renovating my homeschool room and I'm excited about that. In Sept, we may be having an international student from China staying with us so that's exciting too. My son is excited about having another male in the house...poor guy is stuck at home with four sisters and mom all day. LOL**_

_**Today is the last day of school! We are celebrating by going out to lunch. Next year, off to grade 10, grade 4, grade 1 and two toddlers. (And my oldest can't decide what to do with her life yet-she's 19)**_

_**Hope you enjoy this next chapter. :)**_

Makayla pulled her knees up to her chin and hid her face. The sobs racked her body and no matter how hard she tried to motivate herself to stop crying, she couldn't. She'd never felt more alone in her life. She'd tried to convince herself that her dad or Gibbs would be able to prevent her mother from taking away the one thing that mattered most to her: her art. She'd fooled herself into a false sense of security. She should have known things would end this way. Her mother was nothing if she wasn't consistent.

"I'm such an idiot," she sobbed as her mind began to play back her last few moments at Gibbs house.

She'd pushed her mom, screamed at both her parents and ran away. Talk about bad choices. Her parents would hate her, and Gibbs would be furious. And Riley? More than anything she'd wanted Riley to see her as grown up and mature but she'd blown it by crying like a baby. She wanted to be angry with him for interfering, but all she could see was his heart. Riley had stepped in to fight for her right to be heard. As much as she hated the result of her mother freaking out, Makayla couldn't help but feel grateful towards Riley for trying. Makayla knew just how much courage it took for Riley to speak up on her behalf. She'd seen him struggle with PTSD moments even around Gibbs. Riley fought an inner battle each time he stood up against authority. He always seemed to somehow manage to do it but it came at a high cost to his mental health.

Makayla lifted her head up and tried to wipe away the hot tears streaming down her cheeks, dripping off her chin and splattering onto her shirt. Running away was the stupidest thing she could have done. Gibbs had given her a plan. All she had to do was run up the steps and he'd promised to keep her parents away. Why hadn't she done that? Gibbs was a man of his word; he'd never given her any reason to believe he would break a promise. Now, not only would she incur her parent's wrath, she would have Gibbs to deal with too, and maybe even Riley would be mad at her.

She looked around in the darkness, trying to get her bearings. Where was she? She'd just started running and never paid any attention to where she'd gone. She'd run for a long time before she stopped, running through people's back yards and up side streets that she didn't recognize in the dark. Makayla shivered in the brisk wind. It was colder than she'd expected and all she had on was her pink _I love N.Y. _sweatshirt. She should have stopped to grab her jacket.

Her phone vibrated in her side pocket and she reached for it to see Riley's name pop up, along with her mother, her father, Gibbs and her Aunt Jenn's messages. She tapped her finger on Riley's message and tears fell faster as she read it.

_Mak. Things will be ok. Pls, text me back. I'm worried._

Makayla held the phone to her face. Her mind whirled with responses desperately wanting to answer him but knowing she couldn't. Gibbs would make Riley tell him whatever she said. No. She needed to think and formulate a plan. Her phone vibrated again. She looked to see Riley's name again.

_I know things r tuff rn, Mackie. I get it, but ur not alone, ok. I'm ur friend. Let me help u._

She couldn't help but smile at his text complete with perfect punctuation. He hadn't known anything about phones when they'd first started texting. He'd been so careful to text every word, spelling every one perfectly. It used to take forever to return a text until Makayla showed him that there were ways to text messages much quicker. She still remembered his face being horrified at the thought of shortening words and purposely misspelling them. Somehow Riley had missed out on just being a kid. He'd eventually developed his own style but his punctuation was always perfect.

"You can't help me, Rye," she muttered as she stared at the message longing to text him in return. It was better if Riley didn't get involved. All she did was get him into trouble. She rose to her feet and pressed the off button on the phone. She ignored that part of her mind that was screaming at her not to be unreachable. Gibbs had pounded that rule into her head enough over the last month. Gibbs and all his stupid, annoying rules. She needed to do this on her own, and Riley's texts were just going to distract her and slow her down. She shoved her phone back into her pocket and started running again.

~~~NCIS~~~

Riley opened the car door impatiently, stepping a foot out onto the concrete.

"Where are you going?"

"To find out what's taking Mr. Wallace so long." Riley's voice sounded terse and annoyed. They hadn't gone more than five minutes away from the house before Mike Wallace's _charming_ wife called and began a shouting match with him. Gibbs had pulled over to give the man privacy, but it was making Riley crazy. Every minute that went by was one more minute that Makayla had to disappear. Riley knew just how easy it was to vanish into thin air.

"Shut the door," commanded Gibbs, his eyes not leaving his phone as he texted someone.

"Gibbs…"

"You hard of hearing?"

Riley sighed and obediently got back into the car, shutting the door. "What's taking him so long?"

This time Gibbs looked up at him. "He needs time to talk to his wife without breathing over his shoulder."

"He could've stayed at your place and done that. Every minute that goes by is one minute longer for Makayla to get lost."

"Tim just arrived at MTAC. He'll get us a trace on Mak's phone in a few minutes. We're gonna find her, Rye."

Riley pounded the dash in front of him, sudden anger enveloping him. "Her mom is a piece of shit, you know that? She didn't even look at the damn drawing I gave her."

"About that," began Gibbs, shifting his body to face Riley, his face taking on a stern look. "I know you're not stupid. You understood perfectly well that I wanted you to back off, didn't you?"

Riley's face flushed. He did know, but he hadn't cared at the moment. He hated seeing Makayla so upset. No one was helping her and it was killing him seeing her so vulnerable.

"No one was listening to her, Gibbs…" he attempted to explain.

"Mike and Julia are her parents, Riley. Like or not, they have a right to discipline Mak anyway they see fit. I wasn't any happier about how things were going than you were, but we have to respect their rights."

"What about Mak's rights, huh?" countered Riley, forgetting himself and raising his voice to a near shout. Gibbs could see the sheen of sweat forming on his forehead indicating how upset he was."Her mom is taking away the one thing she loves! If that isn't child abuse, then I don't know what is."

"Riley, stop it. You know as well as I do that it's nothing of the sort. It's unfair and unjust, but it's not abuse. Now calm down and listen to me a minute."

Riley narrowed his eyes at Gibbs but closed his mouth. He turned to look out the window. He forced himself to take a deep breath and calm down. Gibbs was right. He was blowing things out of proportion. Mak's parents weren't yelling and screaming and hitting her as his father had done to him. Riley puffed out his cheeks.

"Yes, Mak is pissed off about things, but she knew when she cheated that there would be consequences. It's not up to me or you to interfere on her behalf. All choices in life have consequences. It's part of life. You should know that by now. Makayla needs to learn that running away isn't the answer to her problems. You can only run for so long but when you stop, those things are still going to be there. You can't run forever. I think you know that, don't you? Now, I agree her mother was being unreasonable, but I also think her dad was handling things the best way he knew how. We have trust Mike to take the lead in this. Riley, Mike is a good guy. Trust me on that, okay? Mike knows Julia better than we do. We have to trust that he is dealing with the situation the best way he knows how and Makayla was out of line…"

Riley felt his anger creep up his neck once again. He turned to Gibbs, "You've got to be kidding me." He shook his head and laughed in disbelief. "Are you that old that you've forgotten what it's like to be a teenager with no friggen say about your own life?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gibbs phone chimed again but he stared at Riley for a moment before reading the message.

Riley fidgeted under the scrutiny and dialled himself down a little before he spoke again. "Mak was talking but they weren't listening. Her father might have taken her mother home but nothing was going to change. Can't you see that?"

"How do you know that?"

"Because I know!" he shouted. "Parents are all the same. Her father will do anything to keep peace, just like my mother. When my dad was on a rampage, my mom would say or do anything to keep the peace. It didn't matter if he was wrong!"

Gibbs softened. "Riley, you can't compare this to your situation." His voice was soft now as he saw the underlying root of the boy's angst. He wasn't just coming to Makayla's defense. "Your dad was under the influence most of the time. Your mother was doing all she could to keep you safe…"

"Bullshit!"

Gibbs could see Riley's eyes beginning to darken so he backed off a little and gave the teen some time to calm down. Riley visibly trembled as he glared at him. It was the look Gibbs had begun to recognize as a challenge… when the youth wanted to pick a fight with him but was too frightened to do so. The dare lingered in the air but Gibbs didn't take the bait. He'd made that mistake in the past and things had spiralled down a very harrowing road leading to Riley crouching on the floor in fear and begging Gibbs not to hit him. Gibbs had been taken aback. He joked around with Tim and Tony quite often and sometimes gave them a paternal smack on the back on the head. Since Riley had come to live with him, he'd toned that down. He noticed that Riley cringed whenever he saw it and that bothered Gibbs. He never meant anything by it and he knew his team knew that. It was just his way of showing he cared. It hurt Gibbs to see Riley so fearful and broken, visibly trembling whenever he found himself in a confrontation or even when Gibbs was forced to discipline Aimee or Janessa. The boy had taken to leaving the room when tensions escalated. In as much as Gibbs believed that corporal punishment had a place in the rearing of children, he wasn't sure if that was the right course of action for Riley. The young man was a shattered soul that needed repairing. Gibbs wanted to be that restoration for Riley.

"Rye, listen to me for a minute. Julia isn't anything your dad…"

Riley leaned his head back and covered his eyes with his arm. "I know she's not but she's just as abusive, Agent Gibbs. I don't get how you can't see that. Mak can't live under that type of pressure. No one can."

Gibbs reached out and placed a hand on Riley's shoulder. "I can see how much you care for her…"

Riley looked at Gibbs with a pained expression clouding his face. "She's just a kid. Don't worry about me crushing on her or something. It's not like that."

"You sure about that?"

"Yes, I'm sure," snapped the teen, maybe a little too forcefully. "Besides, I'm too screwed up for romance."

Gibbs dropped his hand. "You're not too screwed up, Riley."

Riley sat forward and reached to open his door once again. "I need some fresh air."

Gibbs nodded. He'd pushed enough for now. Letting Riley have a few minutes alone would be a good thing. The boy needed some time to clear his head and think. Gibbs could appreciate that. "Okay, but don't go wandering off. I don't need another missing kid on my hands."

~~~NCIS~~~

Riley stepped out of the car and inhaled a deep breath of the cold, night air. He managed to close the door without slamming it, despite wanting to slam it shut with all his might. He didn't want to draw attention to how irritated he felt. A part of him was simmering with anger at Gibbs, but another more reasonable part of him understood that the older man was being considerate towards him. Riley didn't know why he did the things he did. Why did he keep stirring up wrath when there wasn't any? It was just sometimes, Riley got so angry he couldn't stop himself from lashing out and regretting it the whole time; often he felt scared out of his tree that Gibbs would haul-off and smack him. But Gibbs never did. Instead, the man remained patient and kind. It was a little unnerving to Riley, like living in limbo, waiting for the ax to fall. Riley felt sure it was only a matter of time before Gibbs lost his cool with him.

Riley shivered in the cold night air. Early December had certainly brought with it some icy cold winds. An angry voice rang out from the darkness ahead of him. Mike Wallace's sounded seriously pissed at his wife and so he should be. Julia Wallace was a real piece of work. Riley understood why Makayla had gotten so worked up about her mother coming home. The woman was unbelievable. She hadn't bothered to give credence to anything Makayla said. It wasn't like Mak was trying to be some kind of brat or something. She was just fighting to have a voice. She deserved that.

Anger continued to creep further up his neck until he thought the pressure would pop his head off his shoulders. Why the hell were they waiting around for so long? Gibbs was nuts to give Mak such long head start. If it was him, he'd be so far gone, they'd never find him and Mak wasn't stupid. She'd figure out her phone was rigged to track her. She'd been hanging around NCIS long before he'd come into the picture. She'd been witness to Tim McGee and his brilliance with technology. The man was an MIT graduate, for Pete's sake.

Riley pulled out his own phone and flipped through the apps. There was no doubt in his mind that Gibbs had had Tim place an invisible GPS tracker device on his phone as well. Riley wasn't as tech savvy as Makayla, but if he searched around long enough, he figured he'd be able to figure out which app it was.

"Damn it!" he muttered.

People in authority always thought they knew everything. It was maddening; if they'd only stop and listen. Riley glanced over his shoulder to see Gibbs talking on the phone now. Riley rubbed the back of his neck debating his next move. Gibbs was fooling himself if he thought Riley was some dumb kid that couldn't do things on his own. Riley had survived a lot of years on his own. He'd tricked a lot of people and made it into the U.S. Marine recruits. If it hadn't been for his dumbass D.I., he'd be a full-fledged Marine right now and no one would have been the wiser. His age did matter. No one would have ever known. He might be biologically sixteen but mentally he was eighteen and had been an adult for a long time.

"This is nuts." He grumbled. Each passing moment was one too many. Riley kicked the side of the car in frustration before taking off into the darkness. If Gibbs was going to waste time waiting around, Riley would track down Makayla on his own.

~~~NCIS~~~

"Thanks, Tim. See if you and Tony can head her off. I'll be there as soon as I can. Just waiting for Mike to finish putting Julia in her place."

"Sure, Boss."

"Tim?"

"Yah, Boss?"

"Make sure you give her a hug. She's pretty scared and upset right now. She doesn't need us to come down on her like a ton of bricks."

"I know, Boss. Don't worry, we'll find her."

Gibbs dropped his phone into his pocket, his mind whirling in gratitude over the fact that Tim could so easily trace Makayla's cell phone. Tim was a whiz at GPS tracking and Gibbs was never more thankful then now. She hadn't gone too far yet; they'd easily be able to track her down and when they did he was going to hug her and kick her ass all the way back to his house. Of all the stupid, harebrained ideas…Gibbs forced himself to stop mid-thought. He reminded himself that Makayla was not his child. Mike and Julia would handle it. He felt relief wash over him and then frowned when he felt the car jerk. His newly found relief melted away when he caught sight of Riley sprinting off into the darkness.

" Damn it!" he muttered, switching the ignition on, slamming the car in gear and spinning it around to go after the teen. What the hell had gotten into that boy?

The headlights lit his way and he soon caught sight of Riley. He unrolled his window as he came alongside the boy. "Get your ass in the car."

Riley stopped running and groaned. "You're not doing anything, damn it! The longer we wait, the further she gets away from us."

Gibbs stopped the car and got out, grabbing Riley by the scruff of the neck and pinning him against the side of the car. "How do you plan to find her, hot shot? You got some kind of homing device that I don't know about?"

"N-no…I just…"

Gibbs could feel Riley trembling under his hands. He didn't want to frighten Riley but he'd reached the end of his patience. "Yah, yah, I know. You thought you'd play the hero." Gibbs released his grip on Riley's shirt and stepped back. He was tired. It was late, and he hadn't slept well the night before. He didn't need this hassle. "Get in the car," he demanded, this time with a little less anger in his voice.

Riley straightened his shirt and obeyed, getting into the backseat. Gibbs grabbed the door before Riley could and set the child locks before slamming it shut in irritation. Riley was pressing his luck tonight. And Gibbs was in no mood to be kind. They would need to have a man to man talk before the night was done because Gibbs knew he was blowing teen parenting 101 big time.

Just then Mike jogged up. "What's going on? I saw you take off."

Gibbs forced himself to calm down. "It's nothing. Tim's got a location on Mak's phone. Let's go."

Mike looked at Gibbs for a long minute and then nodded, getting in the car.

_**Always love to hear your thoughts and ideas...what do you think might happen next...what do you WANT to see happen? Never know, your ideas might be used :)**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**To my Fabulous readers,**_

_**Thanks so much for all the reviews! I feel so blessed!**_

_**Thanks to Chrischime, both Guests, sunflower skye, Hippiechic81, cookiesprinkles, AureaD, DS2010, and staupe**_

_**Special thanks to 90The General09 for all his reviews! **_

_**Here's the next chapter...**_

Tony and Tim each wielded a wide-angle flashlight, aiding Mike Wallace in his descent from the tree. Once the man was able to fully view the ground, he jumped down the rest of the way with a grunt.

"That used to be a whole hell of a lot easier a couple years ago," the man muttered in dismay.

"No luck?" asked Gibbs, stepping forward to assist him as he stumbled to keep his footing in the darkness.

Mike thanked him and shook his head. "No, she just kept climbing higher."

Gibbs gave the man a sympathetic look. He'd had enough runs-ins with Aimee to know that picking a fight with a kid in a tree was a no-win situation. Gibbs rubbed his forehead as he stared up the tree. He was still shocked that Makayla had climbed the large tree to begin with. When Mike, Riley and he had arrived on the scene, Tony had tried to make a fast grab for Mackie before she'd gotten too high, but it had been a fruitless attempt and only ticked her off more. Chasing a kid up a tree wasn't going to end successfully. The kid always had the upper hand.

"Let me try," said Riley looking at Gibbs expectantly.

Gibbs shook his head. "No…"

"She's pissed off at all of you right now, Agent Gibbs," reasoned Riley, trying to catch a glance of Makayla but not having much luck. "She's not mad at me."

"How far did she climb?" said Gibbs, ignoring Riley's words for the moment. The kid had a good point and was probably right, but Gibbs wasn't sure if Riley would be the answer to getting Makayla down either. Tony figured she'd climbed about thirty feet when he stopped trying to convince her to come down.

Mike puffed out his cheeks. "Probably another 10 feet. She's hollering too much to let me get a word in to help calm her down. The bark on this tree is coming off in thick pieces, Jethro. I'm afraid she'll grab a loose chunk and fall. She's gotta be forty-five feet up by now."

Gibbs walked up closer to the tree to inspect the bark. He'd noticed the peeling bark as well and he had a hunch he knew why.

"McGee, shine that light over here a minute."

McGee took a step closer. "What is it, Boss?"

Gibbs pulled his knife out of his pocket and cut a chunk of the bark off to look at it more closely.

McGee frowned. "That's cork."

Gibbs nodded and held it up for Mike to see. Tony stepped closer as well. "This is a Cork Oak tree. You don't see 'em around this neck of the woods much. I saw a huge forest of them in Spain. They tend to be endemic to northwest Africa and southwest Europe. Someone must have planted it here." Gibbs patted the trunk of the tree thoughtfully. "This one's old too, probably over 200 years old and sadly neglected. Supposed to harvest the cork every nine years or so."

Tony pulled a chunk of the bark off as well, inspecting it closely. "How cool is that."

"It's very cool," agreed Tim, also in amazement over the tree.

"Does it come off easy, Jethro?" asked Mike, looking more concerned than before.

"I dunno."

Riley stepped forward and grabbed onto the lower branch, hauling himself up onto the first limb. He used his foot to kick at the bark pulling away from the tree and a huge chunk came loose and began to fall forward. Gibbs and Tony caught it and eased it to the ground.

"I was expecting it to be heavier," commented Tony, shining his flashlight on it.

"Think of a wine cork, DiNozzo," offered Gibbs then he looked up at Riley. "Did that take much force?"

Riley shook his head. "Not really." Riley stood to his full height and looked further up the tree. "It looks less jagged as it goes up."

Mike sighed. "Only for a few feet then it starts again."

"Makayla, listen to me," shouted Gibbs, cupping his hands around his mouth, hoping she would listen to him in her upset state of mind. "You need to stop climbing any higher. This is a Cork Oak tree. The bark on the outside is meant to peel off like a banana!"

Gibbs listened to see if she'd respond back, but it was to no avail. He knew she could hear him but was obviously stubbornly refusing to answer. He scrubbed a hand across his face. This was a classic Aimee move. He hadn't anticipated Makayla would do this. His mind whirled. Out of them all, he had the most tree climbing experience. He'd climbed his share of trees in the Marines, but he also knew Riley would be good at it as well. Riley had the stamina he didn't, not to mention young knees. Gibb's knees were not getting any younger and if Mak had gone up 40 feet or more, Gibbs wasn't sure he'd have the endurance to make it all the way up and then back down. The last thing they needed was someone needing to rescue him. He looked up at Riley, who was still standing on the first branch staring up the tree. Yah, Riley was his best bet.

"Tony, what kind of gear is in the car?"

Tony shrugged. "Not sure, Boss. I just grabbed the first set of keys I could find. Not sure where it was last used. Why?"

"See if it has any safety rigging in it."

NCIS was good at stocking cars for just about every kind of occasion. They never knew what kind of situation they were going to walk into at any given crime scene. Sometimes they had to climb trees or walk out on edges of rooftops or buildings or repel down a large hill or scale one. They had to be ready for anything.

Mike took a step towards Gibbs as Tony took off towards the car. "What are you thinking, Jethro?"

"McGee, think you can get me a two-way earpiece?"

Tim furrowed his brows a moment as he thought. "Yah, as a matter of fact, I think I saw something in the glove box. Not sure if the batteries are charged, but I'll see what I can do."

"The only one with enough experience to climb this tree is me. I've climbed them before with bark in worse shape that this; however, I think Riley can do it faster. He's more agile than I am. My knees aren't quite what they used to be, and I think Riley has a valid point about Mackie. She's pissed at all of us right now. She might be more open to talking to him than she is to us."

Tim nodded at the plan and disappeared into the darkness towards the car.

"Think he'll be able to talk her down?" asked Mike, looking unsure of the plan.

"I can, Mr. Wallace; I'm sure of it. But, you gotta promise me something in return," said Riley, looking down at them. Gibbs shone his flashlight in Riley's face, making the teen boy blink and cover his eyes.

"Riley," said Gibbs, a warning resonating in his voice. The last thing Gibbs wanted right now was a cocky teen thinking he could call the shots.

"Just hear me out, would ya?"

Gibbs pinched his nose to stay patient. He wasn't enjoying Riley's brazenness tonight. Gibbs was thinking that the honeymoon phase was over, and Riley had moved onto his testing the waters stage. This was obviously going to test his patient teen parenting skills.

"Makayla is upset, and she's not thinking straight," continued Riley, his voice holding a nervous edge to it. "The Mak I know wouldn't act like this. Hell, I couldn't even get her to climb the tree in the back yard. Aimee could do it without batting an eyelash but Mackie refused. Mak isn't a thrill seeker."

Gibbs considered Riley's words. The kid had a point. From what he knew of Mak, she always erred on the side of caution. It took a lot of guts for her to do something like this. The girl was not a risk taker by nature. Even the times he had an altercation with her, it hadn't been because she was trying to seek adventure.

Mike put a hand on Gibbs' shoulder. "The kid's got a point. Mak isn't very daring."

"Mr. Wallace, if I get her down, you've got to promise me you'll let things go for tonight. Take your wife and go home. Don't let this drag on anymore tonight."

Gibbs and Mike exchanged a meaningful look. Gibbs saw the defeated expression in the man's eyes. He could see that the decision wasn't his to make. Julia would have the last word. Short of picking the woman up and tossing her over his shoulder, Mike would not be able to control the outcome of the evening. Gibbs would have liked to….he forced himself to brush aside his caveman thoughts. As much as he would have liked to take a page out of Ricky Ricardo's book, it wasn't politically correct to spank women anymore even though if anyone deserved it, Julia Wallace did.

"We'll see how things unfold, Riley. No promises," said Gibbs.

"That's not good enough, damn it. I need to be able to promise Makayla, and I can't do that if you can't promise me."

Gibbs chewed the inside of his lip and sighed. He wasn't getting anywhere with Riley questioning him on everything. He needed to make a few things clear to him. "Mike, could you go see if Tony and Tim need any help?"

Mike took in Gibbs' tense stance and shook his head. "Yah, sure. Be right back."

Once Mike was out of earshot, Gibbs looked up at Riley. "Come on down from there, I wanna have a chat with you."

Riley stared down at him and groaned. "Gibbs…" His voice sounded annoyed.

"I won't ask again."

Gibbs heard Riley give an irritated sigh but to the kid's credit, he obeyed and jumped to the ground with ease. Gibbs couldn't help being a little envious. He scratched his nose as he allowed himself to wallow in the thought that youth was indeed wasted on the young. What he wouldn't give to have that energy and stamina again.

"Listen, I'm gonna let you try and convince her to come down. This tree is not like normal trees. Cork Oaks are strong barked trees but when they get neglected like this, the bark can peel off like a banana and quite unexpectedly. Normally the cork is harvested every nine years or so, but his one doesn't look like it's been done in 20 years, maybe more. You need to be careful that you grab a secure part of the tree before you climb higher. I'm going to deck you out in rigging gear. The same stuff you've used in Marine training. Okay, so far?"

Riley nodded.

"I want you to work on getting a harness on Mak as soon as you reach her. Don't try and talk her down until you got her secured in a harness. Get yourself anchored well enough so that if she does take a header, you'll be able to withstand the sudden jolt. She's light but she won't feel like it if she falls and you're bearing all her weight."

"She's not gonna fall, Gibbs. I'll talk her down," insisted Riley.

"Tim will wire you with an earpiece and you're gonna follow my directions exactly, got it?"

Riley kicked at the dirt with his sneaker. "Wallace needs to promise me…"

"Rye, you're not calling the shots here. If you're not willing to do this my way, I'm not letting you try at all. Understand? Mackie could be in a lot of danger. I don't know how loose the bark is where she's at. I don't even know how high she is or if she will attempt to go higher. Eventually she will reach a point where she can't climb any higher. Cork oak bark tends to be thinner near the top by design so maybe she's just fine where she is but we don't know that."

"Agent Gibbs, if I can't promise her that everything's okay down here, she's not going to come down no matter what I say."

"Just do your best."

Riley shook his head belligerently. "No, it's a waste of my time…"

Gibbs pointed a firm finger into Riley's face shutting him down. "Are you going to listen to me or not? I'm not gonna argue with you. You'll do this my way or I'll do it myself. Like or not, I have a little more experience under my belt than you do…" Gibbs paused a moment, feeling increasingly more irritated. Riley's attitude was rubbing him the wrong way so he continued without thinking, "And you're coming pretty close to forcing me remove said belt. Catch my drift?"

Riley's eyes widened and he took a step back letting Gibbs know he understood loud and clear what he was alluding too. Gibbs instantly regretted his words when a sheer look of terror washed across the kid's face. Unfortunately, he needed Riley's cooperation right now. He'd have to rectify things later.

"We on the same page yet?"

Riley, his face having paled considerably, swallowed and nodded. "Yes, sir."

Gibbs grimaced when he saw Riley shrink away from him. It was getting increasingly difficult for Gibbs to follow his gut with Riley. His instincts told him one thing but Riley's reactions weren't what he expected. The obedience and respect were what he wanted and needed but not the look of terror that came with it. Gibbs waffled between following his instincts and chucking everything he knew right out the window.

Before Gibbs had any more time to think about it, Tony was back with an armful of harnesses, ropes and other equipment. It was time to get to work.

~~~NCIS~~~

"Do you want more coffee, Jules?" asked Jenny, pouring herself another cup. She'd just returned from tucking Aimee and Janessa into bed and could see her sister was still looking more than a little upset.

Julia covered her mug with her hand and shook her head. She continued to stare into space, apparently more than a little lost in thought. The crumpled paper Riley had shoved into her hand was sitting in the middle of the table untouched. Jenny sat down and reached for the paper. She smoothed it out and smirked at the image on the page. It was a caricature of Riley with very large Dumbo-like ears. Jenny had received much of the same treatment a time or two when the teen girl was irritated with her.

"Makayla has a quirky sense of humour," murmured Julia glancing at the page as well.

Jenn smiled. "She does."

Julia reached out and took the drawing to get a closer look at it. "What did this young man do to make my daughter so displeased?"

Jenn quirked a brow. "How do you know she was annoyed?"

"I know my daughter."

Jenny took a sip of her coffee, wishing she'd put more sugar in. "Riley likes to tease her a little, trying to convince Makayla to do things she isn't comfortable doing. He means no harm by it but he knows how to push her buttons. To be honest, I think Makayla has a bit of crush on him."

Julia smirked. "By the looks things, it may be mutual. That young man was certainly brazen enough to speak on her behalf."

"You ready for that?"

"I'm not sure. She's still such a little girl."

Jenn set her mug down carefully. "If I remember correctly, you were 14 when you met Mike…"

Julia fingered the drawing a moment and seemed to become lost in her own memories.

"I was as blind as you are, Jules. It took Gibbs a long time to get me to see how blind I was. Mackie is very talented and it's not just these caricatures that prove it. Have you ever looked at her scrapbook or even asked to look at her portfolios?"

Julia rose to her feet and walked towards the back door to gaze out the window. She wrapped an arm around her middle. "I've known she's had a flair for it since she was a preschooler. It comes as no surprise to me. "

"Then what's the problem, Jules? Why can't you let her pursue her dreams?"

Julia turned to face her. "Because being a starving artist isn't what I desire for her life. Both Missy and Makayla have scored well above most of their peers in science and math. Kayla scored in the 120th range when she was in early elementary. How can I let her squander that?"

Jenn shrugged her shoulders. "Isn't her happiness more important?"

Julia shook her head and spun on her heel. "There's nothing saying she can't pursue drawing as a hobby, Jennifer. But right now, she needs to focus and learn all she can. With her IQ, she could accomplish anything for mankind. The possibilities are endless."

"But what if she loses herself in the process?"

Julia huffed and turned away again.

"Mrs. Director Jenny, can I gets a drink of juice?" said a small voice from the entryway.

Jenny looked up from her coffee to see Janessa walk into the kitchen in her nightie. Her eyes looked sleepy and heavy. Jenny had to smile at the little girl. No matter how many times Jenn told her to call her Jenny, the little tyke always forgot and rambled out a mishmash of names.

"What are you doing still awake, Nessie?"

"Aimee's reading in her blanket tent and the light wokes me up. Then my tongue gots all dry like it wants apple juice

Jenny smiled at the little girl and beckoned her to come to her. "You just brushed your teeth, sweetie. How about a drink of water instead?"

Julia took that moment to walk to the sink and reach for a glass in the drip rack. She ran the tap water for a minute and then filled it, offering it to the little girl with a friendly smile. Janessa took it but made a disgruntled face at it.

"What's the matter," asked Julia, looking at the child in concern,

"Water's supposed to be in a plastic cup," said the girl knowingly, wrinkling her nose in confusion as to why the woman didn't know that.

Jenny took the glass from Janessa and searched for a plastic cup instead.

"Water is water, honey. It tastes the same no matter what cup it sits in."

Janessa pulled herself up on Jenn's chair and reached for the coffee mug. Jenn grabbed it before the little girl could get the substance to her lips and handed her water in a green plastic cup. Janessa sleepily took a drink, spilling the contents down her nightgown.

"Julia, will you keep an eye on Janessa while I have a chat with Aimee a minute?"

Julia nodded and sat down at the table with the little blonde haired girl as she sipped at her water. Janessa swung her feet back and forth and dribbled water down her chin. Julia reached forward and wiped at the girls pajamas to mop up some of the water.

"How old are you?" asked Julia once Jenny left the kitchen. She couldn't help but admire how adorable the little girl was. It had been a long time since her girls were so young.

Janessa held up one hand showing off her five fingers.

"Five? Wow, you're a big girl now."

Janessa set her cup on the table and smiled. "Uh huh."

"Do you go to school yet?"

"No, but I goes to daycare sometimes when daddy brings me."

"Do you like it?"

Janessa kept swinging her feet and reached for a piece of fruit in the bowl on the table. Julia pushed the bowl closer and the little girl chose a banana out of the bowl.

"Sometimes. There's a girl there that I don't like very much but my daddy makes me be nice to her." Janessa made a sour face as she looked down at the fruit with a perplexed look. She tried to open the fruit by pulling at the top of the stem. Julia grimaced as Janessa proceeded to crush the banana in her hands.

"Would you like some help with that?"

"Nope, I can do it."

Julia watched as the child slid off the chair and headed over to the cutlery drawer and pulled out a large butcher knife.

Julia was on her feet in seconds, rescuing the knife from the small child's hand. "Oh, no, you don't; that's not a knife for fruit." Julia scooped up the little girl in her arms and plunked her on the counter.

Janessa looked surprised and for a moment, Julia thought she might cry but then the little girl held out her banana. Julia took the fruit and opened it, handing it back with a smile. The wisp of a girl made her heart ache for her own girls' fleeting childhood. Mak being 14 and Missy, 17, meant that her girls were well on their way to becoming adults. Much of their childish ways were gone. Janessa took a large bite, filling her entire mouth with the fruit. She chewed for a moment and then started to talk with her mouth still full.

"You're Mackie's mommy?"

Julia could just barely make out the little girls words. "I am."

Janessa swallowed. "She draws good. She drawed a picture of me so good that you might think it's me and I'm not me." Janessa scrunched up her nose and giggled. "I wants to draw like her when I get big."

Julia couldn't help but smile.

Janessa wiggled to get down off the counter so Julia helped her, setting her feet to the floor. The small girl walked over to a door off the kitchen and opened it. Julia very quickly realized that it was an adjoining pantry.

"What are you doing, Janessa?"

"Getting a cookie," said the little girl from inside the pantry.

Julia shook her head and laughed. She followed the small child into the pantry and scooped her up in her arms before she pull the ladder over to the cookie jar. "Cookies aren't for bedtime, little one. I think the banana will suffice for tonight." Julia carried her out, switching off the light and shutting the door once again.

Janessa scowled at her for a moment than snuggled in for a cuddle. She yawned sleepily and began to play with the long auburn tresses that had come loose from the bun at the back of Julia's head.

"My mommy lives in heaven," said Janessa staring up at Julia with her bright blue eyes.

Julia sat down at the table and cuddled the child close to her chest. She hadn't bothered to find out the story behind Gibbs adopted children. It hadn't interested her but now she was finding the sweet girl in her arms intriguing. Just what kind of life had this little girl led before ending up in Gibbs' care? What had happened to her mother? Julia couldn't imagine not having her girls in her life. Her girls meant everything to her and she wanted nothing but the best for both of them. "I'm sorry to hear that. You must miss her very much."

Janessa nodded and yawned again, her eyelids fluttering open and closed. "Did you miss Mackie when yous was gone?"

"I missed her a lot."

"Why'd she run away?" Janessa smashed the rest of the banana in her one hand while fingering Julia hair in her other hand. Julia rescued the rest of the fruit from the little girls' hand and reached for a napkin to clean her small hand.

"She's upset but don't you worry about it. We'll work it out."

Janessa nodded, her eyes fluttered a few more times until they stay closed. Julia hugged her close, rocking her gently in her arms becoming lost in her own thoughts.

~~~NCIS~~~

Riley slung the extra harness over his shoulder once again as it slipped down his arm. He continued to climb up the tree until the rest of the men below disappeared. Riley puffed out his cheeks once he found himself alone in the darkness. Gibbs' constant hovering was wearing thin on him. Riley knew he could do this and he sure as hell didn't need Gibbs breathing down his neck the whole time.

Riley kept climbing until his headlight helped him catch the sight of a shoe.

_Can you see her? _Gibbs voice made him startle a little.

"Not yet," he replied softly, knowing that his ear and mouthpiece was sensitive enough to pick up his voice. He wouldn't need to speak overly loud.

_Let us know when you get to her. Remember the first thing you need to do is get that hardness on her, okay?_

Riley nodded and then remembered he needed to give an audible response. "Yup, got it."

He kept climbing until he could see Makayla's face with his headlight. "Mak?" he said, stopping for a rest and trying to catch his breath. Gibbs was talking again but he ignored it for the moment. Makayla didn't need to know that he was wired.

"Go away, Riley," came her trembling voice. Riley could hear the tears still in her voice.

"Hey, you should be thanking me for chasing Gibbs down and coming up myself." Riley tried to keep his voice light-hearted.

_Thanks a lot, kid,"_ Gibbs mumbled making Riley smirk a little.

Riley strained his eyes to try and make out her shadow above him. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, but I'm not coming down so you might as well leave."

Riley continued climbing until he was face to face with Makayla. The tears shimmering on her cheeks in the light of his headlamp made his heart skip a beat. She was still very upset. He lowered himself down on the branch and sat down, puffing out his cheeks. "How many times have I tried to convince you to climb Gibbs' tree and you wouldn't?" He smirked a little and winked at her.

A smiled pulled at her lips. "I don't like heights," she admitted.

Riley's eyes widened a little. Makayla had to be close to 60 feet up the tree and she was telling him she was afraid of heights. "Coulda fooled me, Freckles."

_Atta boy, Riley. Keep things light-hearted,"_ encouraged Gibbs.

A grin fluttered across Makayla's face for a second but disappeared as fast as it came. "How mad are they?"

Riley maneuvered the extra harness over his head and rested it on his lap. Turning sideways as much as he dared, he pegged a climbing spike into the trunk of the tree with a metal clip and attached a Carabiner to it. He carefully clipped the rope to it.

"Not so mad. More worried I think. Here, put this harness around your waist for me. This oak tree had some very loose bark and I'd hate it if you slipped." He held out the harness but Makayla didn't reach for it.

"What does it matter, Riley. You and I both know that if my dad doesn't kill me for this, Gibbs will. I'm just so tired."

_Tell her that her dad isn't angry with her,_ prompted Gibbs.

Riley considered Gibbs words but decided that he didn't have the patience to haggle over this simple thing. Makayla would put the harness on or he'd do it for her.

"Move over," said Riley, ignoring Gibbs' prompting and instead using his best Gibbs voice impression.

"What?"

"I said move over."

Makayla furrowed her brows but obeyed, shimmying her butt closer to the tree trunk. Riley stood up and carefully stepped across until he was sitting on the same branch. The limb was thick and sturdy so he wasn't worried about it holding both of them. Once seated, he reached around Makayla's waist and fastened the harness snugly. She glowered at him but didn't protest. Riley kept his arm round her for a minute longer than he probably should have and eventually she leaned into him and began to sob.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Hello to all my lovely readers!**_

_**Thanks so much for all your wonderful reviews.**_

_**Thanks to Smush68...hope this chapter helps fill in some holes for you...NCIS is good at skipping around in scenes and sometimes leaving us bewildered...I guess I did the same to you :)**_

_**Thanks to Ancilla89, Stareagle, Guest, 90The General09, NCISenthusiastic, Guest, Guest, KrisShannon, AureaD, Guest, DS2010 and Mindless Creations.**_

_**Thanks for the reviews GeoAsaurusG...sorry, we call it a housecoat male or female...might not be the correct term, but I polled a whole bunch of my friends and family and ALL the men said they call it a housecoat...maybe it's a country hick thing :) Thanks for your insights.**_

_**90TheGeneral09...her formal name is Melissa.**_

_**Here's the next chapter...enjoy!**_

Makayla sipped from the bottle of water Riley offered her, glad to have some moisture in her mouth. She was still trembling but felt somehow relieved that Riley was with her. He had a calm presence about him and she was trying to soak up as much of his composure as she could. When she'd seen Tony and Tim arrive, she'd panicked and did the first thing that popped into her head. She'd never know what possessed her to climb the tree. She'd just reacted. She hated heights and did what she could to avoid them. The sight of the two NCIS agents and fear of being dragged back to her parents to face their wrath has just somehow propelled her up the old, gnarled tree.

Figures they'd find a way to trace her. She could have kicked herself for not thinking that they'd track her phone. If she'd thought of it, she should have ditched it somewhere. How dumb could she be? Gibbs worked for NCIS. They tracked criminals every day. As she sat staring down into the black nothingness, she shivered in the cool night air and marvelled at her own stupidity.

"Feeling any better?" asked Riley, who had moved over a bit and removed the backpack he'd brought up with him.

She nodded. "You must think I'm an idiot."

Riley shook his head. "No, I think you felt cornered. I can identify with the feeling; trust me."

Makayla shivered again.

Riley pulled a jacket out of his bag. "It'll probably drown you, but it'll keep out the cold."

Makayla accepted the coat and pulled it around her shoulders, too afraid to move enough to put her arms in the sleeves.

The two teens sat staring at each other with only the dim light of Riley's headlamp to give them light. The tree seemed to gently rock in the wind and the sound of leaves rustling was somehow comforting to Makayla.

"Why does the song Rock-a-bye baby suddenly come to mind?" said Riley finally, breaking the silence and smirking at her.

Makayla frowned and was quiet a moment before a small smile tugged at her lips. "You're a funny guy."

Riley laughed, "I try."

Makayla looked at the tree, swinging one leg nervously. "It hasn't lost its leaves."

Riley reached out and grabbed a handful of leaves, freeing them from the nearest branch to him. "Gibbs said it wasn't native to D.C. Maybe it doesn't lose its' leaves at all."

Makayla thought about that for a moment and then suddenly giggled.

"What?" asked Riley, looking at her like she had a screw loose.

"Here we are, sitting high in a tree and talking about leaves likes it's a perfectly normal thing to do."

Riley's rolled his eyes at her with a smirk and then soberly said, "How'd you get here? Did you walk the whole time?"

Makayla wrapped her arms around her middle. "I'm not even sure where I am," she admitted softly.

Riley looked surprised by her words. "This is Warner's park…" his voice trailed off as Makayla digested that information.

The park was a long way from Gibbs' house, and the park had been condemned as far as she remembered. Everything looked so different at night. It was so dark out and there were no stars to light the night sky. The moon was hidden behind ominous clouds. The night sounds were eerie and forlorn.

"What's your plan, Mak?" said Riley softly, interrupting her thoughts. "You can't stay up here forever. If you fall asleep, you're gonna fall."

Makayla licked her lips, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I dunno what to do, Riley. I'm scared. My parents hate me."

Riley frowned. "You don't really believe that, do you?"

"Why wouldn't I? You heard my mom. She's going to pull my art classes. She doesn't care about what I want. "

Riley was quiet a moment and then scowled. "Makayla, I didn't peg you for a quitter."

Makayla's mouth dropped open. "What?"

"You heard me. For all the time I've known you, you've shown me how determined and strong you are. Heck, you don't even take any shit from Gibbs…" he hesitated a moment before adding, "Even when it led to him…"

"Don't say it!" she whispered, desperate not to hear the words spoken aloud.

Riley stopped and refocussed his approach. "The point is why are you giving up now? Fight for what you want! Don't let your mom dictate what you can and cannot do! If you want to pursue art, then do it even if your mom freaks out. Life is too short." Riley stopped speaking suddenly and poked at his ear for a moment before pulling something out.

"What's that?"

"A stupid earpiece Gibbs made me wear. He's giving me a damned headache yelling in my ear." Riley shoved it into the side of his backpack and zippered it up. He puffed out his cheeks with a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth, "I guess he doesn't like the advice I'm giving you."

Mak covered her mouth and giggled. "He's gonna have a fit."

"Who the hell cares! This is just what I'm talking about. I don't need Gibbs telling me what I can and cannot do. I'm my own man. I've been on my own a long time. He might think he can call the shots but he doesn't own me. He can't control me, and you shouldn't let your mom try and dictate your life either. Respect is a two-way street and from what I saw, your mother doesn't give a shit about respecting you. She wants a damned robot that obeys her every command."

Tears fell down Makayla's cheeks. "You don't know her, Riley…"

"Mak, what's the worse she's gonna do? She already said she'd take away your art classes. Let her. Play her game. Whatever it takes. Her job'll eventually lead her out of the country again, won't it?" Makayla slowly nodded, knowing that was true enough. Her parents spent probably six months of the year travelling around the world. "As soon as she leaves, get back into your art classes. Do whatever it takes to achieve what you want and to hell with your mom."

Makayla wiped the tears from her cheeks taking Riley's words to heart. Maybe he was right. Maybe she could play along until her parents left again. Christmas holidays were only three weeks away and after New Year's, her parents would be back in Europe again. Her father had already explained that their case was only on hold while the judge deliberated the specifics.

"What do you think is gonna happen when we get down?" she asked, her stomach aching at the prospect.

Riley rolled his neck around a few times, feeling the tension in his neck and shoulder muscles. "Gibbs is definitely going to kill me."

Makayla smirked. "He wouldn't have let you come up here if he didn't trust you."

"Oh, he trusts me about a far as he can throw me. I'm just waiting for the axe to fall on my head. He's been pushing my buttons all night and I'm about ready to snap. I can only take so many yes, sirs and no, sirs before I lose my lunch."

"I guess we're not so different, Rye."

"I guess not. Think you're ready to climb down now?"

"I'm afraid."

Riley considered her words for a moment. "Afraid to climb down or afraid to face your parents?"

"Both."

He patted her arm sympathetically and looked down at his harness, checking it to be sure it was secure. "Getting down is actually easier than climbing up. I'll hold your weight and lower you down. Piece of cake."

"Are you sure?" Makayla's green eyes shimmered in the glare of the headlight. She could feel her heart rate pick up at the thought of climbing down.

Riley reached out and felt her harness as well, checking it to see if it was snug and secure. He would need to get her legs through the loops so he could lower her down. He glanced at the harness to see if he could loosen the loop buckles. It would be easier to secure the leg loops around her legs rather than convincing her to step into it.

"Trust me, Mackie. I won't let you fall."

Makayla's hands trembled as she leaned forward and looked down. She couldn't see anything but blackness. She didn't even know how far she had climbed. All she knew is she wanted to get as far from her parents as possible and she didn't want to go back.

"Mak, we need to get your legs into the loops of the harness, and then I can secure it above your hips." Makayla shivered and even in the dimness of his headlight, he saw her face pale. He shimmied himself closer to her. "Here, I'll help you." And he did just that. Within a few minutes, he had her secure in the harness. Makayla looked up as Riley stood to his feet and wrapped the braided rope around his mid-section.

"Keep your eyes on me. Don't look down, no matter what." Riley took off his headlamp and placed it on Makayla's head. "I need to see what I'm doing so you shine that light on me, okay?"

"I'm scared, Riley…"

"I know you can do this, Mackie. You're tough like me. We're fighters, not quitters. We don't let people push us around. Now slide your butt forward until you feel me holding your weight."

Makayla shook her head. "I'll fall…"

"No, you won't. I've got you. I won't let you fall. I promise. I'm just going to lower you down gently. You need to keep your arms in close to your side but use your hands to protect your face from any branches that might hit or scratch you. Whatever you do, don't look down until they catch you at the bottom. You hear me?"

"Riley, no, please…" Makayla screamed as she felt him push on her butt with his foot. "Stop it!" He continued shoving her with his foot until she felt herself swinging in the air.

"See, you're fine. I've got you. Relax, okay?"

Makayla's heart beat the tango against her ribcage, but she nodded. He was right; he had her. She was swinging a little but was secure. She continued to look up at Riley as she felt herself being lowered slowly. She could hear Riley grunt and groan as he worked hard to bear her weight and cautiously lower her. He kept inching her down slowly and Makayla fought against her own inner anxiety. She kept looking up but the light shone so brightly that she couldn't make out anything but the glare. Her heart hammered in her chest as her legs and arms were scratched by tree branches. She tried to block the branches but it was next to impossible.

"Riley," she whimpered, reaching up to grab a branch with her hand. She wanted to stop him from lowering her any further but all she managed to do was knock the headlight off her head pitching her into complete darkness. She started to madly flail around, trying to grab anything to help her feel safe. Each time she reached out, Riley would lower her further. She pulled her arms in tightly like he'd told her and covered her eyes. Her feet dangled below her and her legs kept hitting branches. She felt a sharp pain rip across the cheek of her face and she cried out in pain. Her hand flew to her cheek and she felt the warmth of sticky blood in her fingers. Suddenly the rope jolted, plummeting her rapidly down several feet. She panicked and reached for the nearest branch. As she attempted to kick her feet out to wrap her legs around a limb, the rope loosened once again and upended her.

~~~NCIS~~~

Riley reached for the earpiece and shoved it back into his ear as he lowered Makayla as slowly as he could. "She's coming down," he muttered, grunting a little. Makayla wasn't heavy but she was flailing around enough to keep knocking his centre of gravity off. His shoe kept losing its footing making it difficult for him to lower her evenly. Sometimes the rope slipped in his hands causing Makayla to fall several feet at one time. It made her struggle around more thus continuing the cycle. Riley grimaced. He was scared. He feared he'd drop her if she kept fighting him the entire way down.

"Damn it, why'd you take out the earpiece?" demanded Gibbs, irritation very plain in his voice. It wasn't hard for Riley to figure out that his mentor was pissed.

"Can we save the lecture for another time?" snapped Riley, grimacing as the rope twisted around pinching at his fingers through the gloves he wore. "Mak isn't big on heights so she isn't making this easy on me."

"How far was she up?"

"I can't be sure. Maybe 60 feet."

"Okay, keep easing her down…take it slow."

"I am but she's thrashing around so much…MAK, stop it!" he shouted down at her before cursing a few Marine style words.

"Nice choice of words," muttered Gibbs drily.

"Ain't nothing you haven't said yourself," remarked Riley gruffly, smacking his head against the tree trunk when Makayla jerked him hard. "Mak, what's going on?" he called down to her. "Stop thrashing around so much."

Riley strained to hear but he couldn't make out much but her crying. "She's panicking, Gibbs!'

"It's okay, Riley. You made sure she was secure in the harness?"

"Yes, sir."

"Okay, just keep lowering her. You okay?"

Riley felt the beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he grimaced again and was smashed hard against the trunk again. He felt the gloves on his hands rip under the strain of the rope, the cord biting ravenously into his hands. He gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the rope despite the pain.

"Yah…yah…I'm good. Can you see her yet?"

"No, not yet. Try talking to her again and we'll see if I can hear her answer you."

Riley nodded. The back of his leg was shaking now and he bit down hard on his lip tasting blood. Makayla was really scaring him. If she kept panicking, she could hurt herself or possibly even flip herself upside down making her descent even more frightening and treacherous.

"Mak, can you hear me? It's okay…I've got you! You won't fall. I promise I won't let you fall. Try to stop moving so much. Mak? Can you hear me?"

Riley was yanked forward suddenly, almost pulling him off the branch he was standing on. He leaned back with all his might and puffed out his cheeks. He could feel his pulse pounding in his inner ear. He had no clue what Makayla was doing but something didn't feel right.

"Gibbs!" Riley shouted as he felt his feet slipping. Suddenly he felt another jerk on the rope and as hard as he tried to maintain his balance, he couldn't. He slipped and was pulled off the branch.

~~~NCIS~~~

Riley gasped when the length of his rope ended and he jerked to an abrupt stop. He'd tried to brace for the sudden impact but it had been useless; he grimaced as pain radiated up and down his back. He swung around in circles a few times on the braided rope; the impact caused the rope to swing hard, smashing his head hard against the tree trunk. His vision blurred and everything seemed to go black. He could hear the wind in the trees. He hung suspended like that for what seemed like forever until he finally gathered up the strength to balance his head on his shoulders once again. It took him a few minutes after that before he could suck up the pain enough to get a foothold on the tree and pull himself into the middle. He secured his footing and braced himself against the tree trunk. It was so damned dark. He strained his eyes as he looked downward. He felt himself shaking as he leaned against the tree.

"Gibbs…I lost my foothold and fell. I'm not sure how far."

Riley didn't get a reply.

"Gibbs," he said again. Still nothing. Riley reached up and felt for the earpiece and realized it was gone. His pulse picked up. He shouldn't have removed it in the first place. He probably hadn't replaced it properly. They weren't supposed to fall out.

"Damn it," he muttered.

_Think Riley. What would your training have you do? _

He needed to get to Makayla. Something wasn't right. He felt it in his gut.

"Mackie!" he called downwards loudly, cupping his hands around his mouth to get more power behind his voice.

"Riley." Riley recognized Gibbs' voice just then and he felt relief wash over him.

"Gibbs, did you find Mak?"

"Not yet. Are you okay?"

For reasons Riley didn't understand, he felt tears come flooding to his eyes. What the hell? Why would he suddenly become so emotional? The emotion was thick in his throat and he couldn't get words out past the emotions building up inside him. Maybe it was the sound of Gibbs' voice or the compassion in the man's words. Something resonated with Riley. Gibbs must have climbed the tree to find him…to help him…why would he do that? Riley had been such a jerk towards the man that evening…not wanting to have any authority telling him what he could or could not do. Why did Gibbs bother with him?

"Riley, answer me. Are you hurt?"

"S-something happened… I-I was yanked off the branch. I'm o-okay." Tears burned in his eyes making him blink faster. His head seemed to whirl and thoughts barrelled in on him. He felt himself shaking and he tried to push the feelings away. He was fine. He was overreacting. His mind berated him as he lowered himself to sit on the branch, willing himself to calm down. He couldn't stop shaking.

Riley started when he felt a warm hand touch his. He blinked and his heart hammered against his chest when he saw Gibbs cobalt eyes come close to his face.

"Hey, kiddo, are you okay?"

Riley's mouth dropped open. How did Gibbs get to him so fast? Makayla! He must have found her. Surely he would have seen her when he was climbing to him.

"Mak…did you find her?"

Gibbs sat on the thick limb beside Riley. "I didn't see her."

"What? No! I was lowering her down, Gibbs. You must have seen her…" He felt himself begin to panic. Had she fallen? How could Gibbs have climbed to him without seeing her?"

Gibbs placed an arm on Riley's forearm. "Calm down. You must have fallen past her."

Riley felt Gibbs running his hands up and down his back and arms. His head was spinning. How could he have fallen further than Makayla? He'd secured the rope. He shouldn't have fallen much further than a foot or so. No, Gibbs must have climbed right by Makayla getting to him. It was dark. He must have missed her.

Riley pushed Gibbs hands away as he felt the man touching his head. He winced at the pain. His vision was blurry and it was all he could do to keep his head up straight.

"I'll gonna lower Riley down, DiNozzo. He's injured. Looks like he's got some head trauma," Riley heard Gibbs say. The man's voice sounded muffled. Riley groaned.

"I'm fine…we need to get to Mak," Riley insisted, trying to pull himself to his feet.

Gibbs grabbed his arm tight and held him still. "I'm gonna attach another rope to your harness, Riley and lower you down."

"What? No!" shouted Riley. He jerked himself away and managed to get to his feet. He held up his hands to keep Gibbs at arm's length. "We need to get Mak."

Gibbs firmly grabbed him again, suspending himself in the tree so he could get a firm grip on Riley's harness. He attached something to the harness and cupped Riley's chin in his hand, piercing him with a concerned look.

"Look, you're hurt. I need you on the ground so I can concentrate on getting to Mak and getting her down."

Riley shook off Gibbs' hand. "You need my help. She won't listen to you."

Gibbs looked exasperated. "I'm not going to argue with you, Riley. You're going down."

Riley remained steadfast and took several steps back on the limb.

"Damn it, Riley. Don't move. That branch will snap under your weight." As if on cue, Riley heard the branch crack. He lurched forward and found himself almost nose to nose with Gibbs. Gibbs wrapped an arm around him, pulled him in closer and began to lower them both to the ground.

"We have to get Mak," pleaded Riley, feeling himself losing his strength once again.

"You're gonna be okay, Riley. I've got you," crooned Gibbs softly as Riley's head began to droop and land on the older man's shoulder.

"G-get…M-mak…" The words seem to sound like they were coming from someone else. How could he have fallen past her? It didn't make sense to him. Nothing made sense.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Greetings fellow readers!**_

_**How is your summer treating you? It's been hot and humid here in Canada.**_

_**We have family from Denmark visiting us and it's so fun! Good thing my husband's Danish isn't too rusty. I'm a little lost but managing. The kids are having a blast with their Danish cousins...language isn't a barrier for children. **_

_**I managed to finish and edit a chapter for you. **_

_**Shout out to my readers who left a review. 90The General09, DS2010, Hippiechic81, Mindless Creations, KrisShannon, ChrisChime, GaoAsaurusG and Fellow Reader.**_

_**Just a little note: I know I probably make a million mistakes when I write. I strive to do some research and to make the story as real and authentic as possible. 90TheGeneral09 helps me with the military aspect as best as he can but I know my writing is still not completely accurate. Please forgive me and bear with those mistakes. **_

_**I hope you can still enjoy the story, despite the mistakes.**_

_**All my love and enjoy!**_

_**Jenny**_

_**xo**_

Makayla whimpered in the darkness. Keeping her eyes tightly closed, she muttered a few fleeting prayers to God hoping He wasn't too busy to hear her pleas. Her head ached and she could hear her pulse pounding in her ears. She'd nearly lost all sense of control when she saw Riley fall past her. It had frightened her half to death. She'd tried to reach out to grab him but had had no success. It had all happened so fast and was all her fault. She'd panicked when he started to lower her; she'd kicked her legs wildly, grabbed at branches and yanked on the rope—anything she could think of to get him to stop lowering her any further. All she'd wanted to do was grab onto the tree and hang on for dear life. It was so dark and it freaked her out. Riley had shouted at her to stop flailing around, but she couldn't stop herself. Now Riley could be dead. Tears soaked her bangs as she hung upside down, helplessly suspended, sobbing and gasping for breath. She hadn't heard the dreaded thud she'd kept expecting. She'd held her breath waiting for it but never came. All she could hear was the wind rustling through the leaves and her pulse pounding in her ear. Maybe Riley was okay. He had to be okay. _Oh, God, please let him be okay._

"Riley!" she screamed through trembling lips.

She sobbed trying to catch her breath. Riley was strong and capable. He would be fine, she told herself. She didn't understand all the rigging he'd had with him but he appeared to know what he was doing. He'd attached her harness like a pro and she'd seen him secure so many ropes to the tree.

"Come on, Mak, keep it together here," she muttered to herself.

Gibbs wouldn't have let Riley attempt to rescue her if he didn't have faith that Riley knew what he was doing. She forced herself to stop crying. She was feeling more and more lightheaded. Somehow she needed to upright herself before she lost consciousness. Suddenly, those useless science and health classes didn't seem so impractical anymore. Her instructor's voice echoed in her mind. Her classmates had joked about watching unrealistic movies on television, where the hero hung suspended upside down for hours and still managed to save the day. Realistically, the human body didn't work so well upside down after a long period of time. When a person was inversed, blood began to rush to the head. Eventually, that could cause a blood vessel to rupture or trigger a brain hemorrhage but that wasn't even her biggest concern at the moment. Makayla gasped for a deep breath. She was finding it more and more difficult to catch her breath. The immediate danger for her was she wasn't sure how long she'd been suspended upside down. She'd lost track of time. Maybe even passed out. Asphyxiation was her biggest threat right now. Being inversed put extra weight on her lungs which in turn made it more difficult to breathe. If she lost consciousness, maybe she could die. Just how long could a person hang upside down? She couldn't remember. She thought she'd read not more than 60 hours…or had it been 6 hours…or 60 minutes...her mind was frantic.

Makayla felt the panic taking over. She had to get herself upright again. She just had to. She kicked her feet and flailed her arms but that only served to propel her forward, harshly smacking her head into the tree trunk.

"Owww," she sobbed, holding her head.

She felt so tired. She blinked her eyes, straining to see something—anything-in the pitch black darkness. Why did it have to be so dark? Where was the moon? Her pulse continued to pound at her temples. The pressure of the blood rushing to her head was almost unbearable now. Her eyes felt strange as colours started to dance around the corners of her vision. Maybe hanging upside down was bad for your eyes too. She worked hard to take a deep breath again. She had to get right side up.

_Come on, Makayla. You can do this. Riley might need your help._

She willed her arms to obey her…she reached out towards a limb and tried to grab it.

_Just a little closer._

She swayed herself back and forth, carefully controlling her kicks until she caught hold of the branch with her legs. She wrapped her feet around it and held it tightly.

_Now what? _

She searched her head for answers. What did she need to do now? She needed to think and control her thoughts.

"Mackie!" shouted a familiar voice. "Where are you?"

Her heart pounded expectantly in her chest. "Gibbs! Help me!" she called, her voice sounding shaky but still loud enough to be heard. Bright lights shone in her face and tears pricked at the corner of her eyes as she fiercely tried to blink the lights away. She put her hands over her eyes and moaned.

"She's here!" called a deep raspy voice she didn't recognize.

Makayla felt strong arms grab her tightly. She tensed up as she tried to see who had her. The headlights were so bright; it made it difficult for her to see anything. The tears began to cascade down her cheeks and into her ears hindering her hearing as her body was slowly manoeuvered into a sideways position. The change in direction made her feel nauseous and dizzy.

"Go easy," said another unfamiliar voice, "Not so fast. We don't know how long she's been upside down. Keep her level for a few minutes to allow her body to adjust to the change in position."

"Gibbs," Makayla whimpered. She felt like she would vomit. "Riley…he fell…"

"He's fine, Mackie. We got him down and we're gonna get you down too."

Makayla could hear his voice, but she couldn't see him. She felt waves of panic wash over her again, forcing her to kick out and fight against the strong hands holding her. Gibbs' words should have relieved her, but she felt too frightened…queasy…confused. "Riley!" she cried out again.

"Agent Gibbs, talk to her! Jenkins, hold her still," said the deeper voice of the two other unidentified men in the tree with her.

"Mak, listen to me. Can you hear me?"

Gibbs' voice sounded calm and in control but seemed like it was floating further away from her.

Makayla struggled harder and cried louder. "NO! Let me go! Gibbs, don't leave me!" Her stomach churned threatening to empty itself of what little it contained making her feel even more unsettled. She kicked her feet, trying to grab onto the branch again…looking for something stable to hold onto. She fought against her captor, desperation taking her over completely. She felt herself being pitched forward so she was face down. Her stomach gave up at this point and emptied its contents.

"We ready?" said the gruff voice close to her ear. "She's slipping…"

"Hang onto her…"

Makayla couldn't tell where the voices were coming from any longer. Were they above her or below her? All she could hear was her pulse pounding loudly in her ears. She heard more words but couldn't make out what was being said anymore as everything began to fade into the distance.

~~~NCIS~~~

Gibbs massaged his temples as he paced. He looked up to see Mike looking as disconcerted as he felt. They were at the hospital waiting to hear from the doctor. Both teens had been stable, but there had been some concern regarding head trauma. First responders had arrived on the scene by the time Gibbs had reached the ground with Riley. Gibbs and his team worked like a well-oiled machine. They supported one another without a word spoken between them except when needed. Gibbs' mind focused on getting to the kids quickly and his team picked up the slack on the ground. Gibbs was proud of his team.

Once Gibbs had Riley safely in the hands of the paramedics, he and two other responders made short work of finding Makayla. They found the girl suspended upside down, struggling to breathe. No one had been sure how long she'd been hanging upside down. Injuries to her head, as well as cuts and abrasions to her face, made Gibbs' pulse race and his gut ache. Makayla seemed disoriented when they reached her and quickly lost consciousness, never regaining it on the scene. Gibbs could see how terrified Mike was when he saw his little girl. Gibbs was right there beside him. Makayla might not have been his but he'd grown to love her like she was. He puffed out his cheeks and rubbed at the tension in the back of his neck. Mike and he exchanged a worried look.

"What's taking so long?" asked Mike, raking a shaky hand through his messy hair. He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. "It's been over an hour!"

"Damned if I know," responded Gibbs feeling equally frustrated. He'd had his fill of hospitals after everything that had happened with Aimee. If he never set foot in a hospital after today, it would suit him just fine. When the teens got out, he was wrapping them in bubble wrap and locking them in their rooms until they were adults. He needed a vacation.

His mind flashed to Riley's pale face as the paramedics had maneuvered the kid onto a gurney to begin first aid. The kid's hands had been ripped to bloody shreds and he'd had an enormous gash on his head. Logically, Gibbs knew head wounds bled a lot, but whenever it involved one of his kids—and Riley had become one of his kids—everything appeared ten times worse. So much blood and his pupils hadn't responded well to light. He wasn't too big a man to admit he was frightened. Head injuries made things complicated. Hopefully, the kid had a hard head to match his attitude.

Realization dawned on Gibbs at that moment that he'd overestimated Riley's capabilities. Riley hadn't listened to Gibbs when he'd asked him to report on what he saw so he could give him instructions. Anger washed over Gibbs as he thought of the kid removing the earpiece given to him. Why the hell had Riley done that? So much time had gone by and Riley had been incommunicado. He knew Riley would have rescue training with rescue harnesses and rigging while being a Marine recruit. There was no reason the kid should have fallen, not if he'd secured himself properly. He shouldn't have lost his footing. What the hell had he been doing? Had he lowered Makayla too quickly? Had he not secured himself properly? Gibbs thought the kid could handle it. He'd been wrong. Riley was injured and it was his fault. It was a poor judgement call on his part. McGee or DiNozzo would have been a better choice.

"Agent Gibbs? Mr. Wallace?"

Both men spun around to see a duty nurse come into the waiting room.

"Would you both come with me? The doctor would like you to join him in a meeting room."

Gibbs felt his stomach clench with worry, but he followed Mike and the nurse silently. They walked down a darkened corridor until they came to a room just off the ICU unit. The hospital was peaceful and serene at this time of night. All Gibbs could hear was the soft beeping of machines and the soft, hushed whispers of the night staff doing their rounds. The nurse knocked on the outer door and then entered the room without waiting for a response. Once inside the room, the doctor rose to his feet with a smile. The man appeared to be in his late sixties or early seventies and had a peaceful presence about him.

"Mr. Wallace and Agent Gibbs, I presume?"

Gibbs and Mike offered their hands out to the man to shake and he obliged with a warm, welcoming smile. The warmth of the man immediately calmed Gibbs' heart rate down.

"My name is Kevin Mooney. I'm pleased to meet you both. I apologize for the formality of asking you here. I tend to enjoy the solitude of this room in the evenings. I hope you don't mind."

Mike rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants. "Is Makayla alright?"

"Yes, yes, she is fine. Please. Have a seat."

Gibbs and Mike took a seat across from the doctor as the man proceeded to sit down and put his feet up on a chair. He looked up a little sheepishly. "I'm sorry if I appear less than professional. It's been a taxing evening and I'm on the second of a double shift."

Gibbs nodded. "How is Riley?"

The doctor waved his hand. "Right as rain. He's certainly a going concern that boy. I had to sedate him once he awoke. He was so insistent on seeing Makayla. Pray tell, how on earth did those two kids get themselves in that predicament?"

Gibbs let out a deep sigh in answer. He was so relieved that he wasn't able to speak for a moment. When he'd seen the gash on Riley's head, he'd envisioned the worst. No amount of telling himself different had calmed his worries until now.

"It's a long story, I'm afraid," said Mike, his voice still sounding wobbly. "So, my daughter is alright? No lingering injuries to worry about?"

The older man ran a hand through his greying hair. "She took a pretty good hit to the head and she has lots of scrapes and scratches but otherwise, she's just fine. We're keeping her overnight for observation to rule out a concussion but otherwise, she'll be her normal teenage self in a day or two. She's sleeping now, but it took some convincing to get her to calm down."

Mike smiled in relief. "Can I see her?"

"Certainly but please don't wake her. She's in unit 4. It's not overly busy so we thought we'd leave her there for the night." The doctor looked at Gibbs. "Riley is in unit 5 right beside her. His injuries were a little more concerning but he'll be fine too."

Gibbs felt his pulse increase again.

The doctor noticed Gibbs concern and smiled kindly, his eyes casting a warm assurance in Gibbs direction. "Now, don't fret, Papa bear. He's a strong lad. He took a good hit to the noggin and definitely has a concussion for his troubles, but he'll be fine given time. I stitched his head…he'll be proud to tell his mates that he received 30 stitches. His hands will take some time to heal but nothing too serious. If you promise to keep him quiet for a few days, we'll release him tomorrow along with Makayla."

Gibbs heaved a sigh of relief as he watched Mike leave the room without a word.

"Thanks, Dr. Mooney." Gibbs rose to his feet as well, but the doctor pinned him with a look that told him the conversation wasn't over. "Is there something else?"

"How long has he been suffering from PTSD?"

Gibbs sat down again. He actually wasn't surprised that the doctor had noticed. Given the man's age, he had probably been practicing the better part of his life now. Any good doctor worth his salt would have noticed Riley's mannerisms. It seemed that Riley's distress had grown worse rather than better. It wasn't shocking to Gibbs but it was concerning. He needed to get the kid into counselling sooner rather than later. He anticipated it being a fight, one that he didn't relish even a little bit.

"I'm not sure to be honest. The kid's been through hell and back since he was 10 years old. Not sure if the PSTD is new or something he's been trying to cope with since he was a little kid."

The doctor stroked the grey five o'clock shadow on his chin thoughtfully. "I'd have to say he's doing a pretty good job pretending he has a grip on it. I do feel like he's unravelling rather quickly though. Took a couple of my strongest male nurses to hold him down. The lad's strong for his age. His chart says he's 16?"

Gibbs nodded.

The man whistled. "Wish I was half that size at his age."

Gibbs chuckled. "You and me both." Gibbs didn't offer anything else. He knew Riley's muscular frame would have blossomed during Marine boot camp. Even the smallest framed men took on lean muscle they never knew they could attain after 13 weeks in training. Riley never lost it because he kept training. The kid had a lot of self-discipline…or maybe it was self-torture. Gibbs had yet to figure out which.

The doctor reached into his inner pocket and handed Gibbs a card. "I know a fella who's pretty good at working with kids like Riley."

Gibbs took the card with a lifted brow. "Kids like Riley?"

"Doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out he's been abused, Agent Gibbs. His tells scream pretty loud. I raised my hand to try to force him back on the bed and he cowered like a beaten dog."

Gibbs nodded. "That's not the half of it, I'm afraid."

The doctor nodded. "Kyle has a way with some of these kids. Tough yet compassionate enough."

"Thanks. I think the trick will be getting him to accept that he needs some help."

"Something tells me that it won't be long in happening. The rage building in him is something else. He doesn't like to take orders, does he?"

Gibbs smiled. "He give you a hard time?"

"A little. Nothing I couldn't handle but _whoo wee_, he's a stubborn one when he thinks he's right."

"Tell me about it. He's highly intelligent too and Marine trained…" It was the doctor's turn to lift a brow. Gibbs waved a dismissive hand, not wanting to go into detail. "It's a long story, Doctor. One I'd rather not go into."

The older man nodded in understanding. "Riley should sleep pretty soundly until morning, but you're welcome to go see him for a bit. I'm fairly positive it would take a team of wild horses to awaken him. He's exhausted."

Gibbs rose to his feet tucking the business card into his pocket without another word and left the room.

Walking down the quiet hospital wing, Gibbs read the numbers on the doors. Most of the rooms were vacant, which meant that people were not requiring urgent care and in Gibbs mind, that was good news. More times than he cared to remember, anytime he'd been in Urgent Care it had been bursting out at the seams. An empty one was a blessing. Running a weary hand through his salt and pepper hair, Gibbs saw the number to Riley's room and pushed the frosted glass door open to see Riley's dark hair spilled across the pillow. Gibbs winced when he saw the angry looking, newly stitched gash across the boy's head. His features looked distraught even in sleep. He'd noticed that a few times when they had bunked together. Riley never seemed to look relaxed, even when in a deep slumber. Gibbs quietly approached the side of the bed and leaned against the safety bar that had been pulled up on both sides. He reached out and brushed the boy's hair off his forehead being careful not to disturb the stitches. Riley stirred in his sleep but didn't awaken.

"Kiddo, you took a couple of years off me," Gibbs mumbled so softly, he could hardly hear the words. "I should have never let you go after Mak."

Gibbs' mind wandered-more like raced-in circles, playing out several less than favourable scenarios. The could haves and the should haves were bigger than life in his head. He wasn't sure how long he was standing there berating himself before he felt a hand touch his shoulder.

"Boss."

Gibbs blinked a few times and turned to see Tony looking at him. "Tony? I thought you went home. Did you contact Jenn?"

The younger man nodded. "Tim went over to spell Jenn and Julia. They should be on their way here soon."

"He didn't need to do that. He must be exhausted. Abby is there…" Gibbs looked at his watch, noting the time. It was after midnight. His girls would be asleep and he'd left Abby in his room so he figured his Goth girl would sleep in his bed until he came home. If Janessa happened to go bed hopping, which she usually did, Abby would snuggle her.

"Well, according to Jenn, Abby's not in a good head space right now."

Gibbs frowned. "What do you mean?"

Tony stretched and sat in the closest chair. Gibbs sat as well. The doctor seemed to be right about Riley not waking up. The kid was down for the count, probably as a result of the sedation.

"Jenny said she'd checked on the girls just before I called her and she'd found Abby sitting all curled up in the corner, sobbing her heart out. Abby refused to tell her what was wrong."

Gibbs felt his heart lurch. That was definitely not like Abby. Even if she had been dumped by some guy, she usually told someone what was bothering her. Gibbs clenched his jaw tight in concern.

"Tim is the next best thing to you."

Gibbs nodded. He couldn't disagree. Tim had a way with Abby that no one else did, well except perhaps for him. Tim was that perfect mix of no-nonsense brotherly tough love. Tony had the capability as well but more often than not, Abby would balk at Tony trying to talk to her and it would turn into a fight. Tim seemed to escape that wrath and had a way of soothing Abby like no one else. Gibbs hoped Tim would be able to work some magic with his Goth girl…until he could get there and see for himself what the matter was. Gibbs ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't catch a break lately. He just kept running from one raging fire to the next.

"And I thought you could use a shoulder…" continued Tony gently.

Gibbs looked up at his protégé. Tony's concerned eyes looked at him kindly and Gibbs felt his heart warm. If anyone knew him, it was Tony. Tony had known him longer than anyone else on his team other than Ducky and Jenn. They worked some tough cases over the years and Tony always had his six. The younger man had grown to be an incredible agent and an equally amazing friend.

"Don't beat yourself up over what happened, Boss. Riley made choices that you had no control over. The kid fell because he made some mistakes. That's not your fault."

Gibbs' face took on a pained expression. "Am I that transparent?"

Tony smirked. "Seems so."

"I shouldn't have let him…"

"He was the best bet to get Mackie down. If I hadn't agreed with that, I would have said something. You know that." Gibbs chewed on that thought a moment realizing it was true. Tony always called him out on his decisions if they younger man disagreed, even if it earned him a smack on the back of the head. While Gibbs hated to be challenged on anything, it was what made them such a good team. He didn't always change his judgement, but his team always felt like they could challenge him if they disagreed.

"Mak was pissed at everyone but Riley and he DID convince her to let him lower her down. If you or I had gone up or even her dad, it could have ended with her climbing higher and never getting a harness around her. Things could have turned out much worse. I'm not sure anyone else could have convinced Makayla to come down other than Riley."

Gibbs rubbed the palm of his hands on his dirty, tree torn pants. "I shoulda gone up with him. He's just a kid…"

"He's a Marine trained kid, Gibbs. Give yourself a break on this. Some of this is on Riley. He took out his earpiece, and he ignored your instructions. I don't want to speak out of turn, but it wouldn't hurt that cocky kid to earn his own Gibbs' smack." Tony glanced at Riley with a look of irritation washing over his face. "Thankfully, they both got out of this relatively unscathed. Don't blame yourself for things you had no control over."

Gibbs nodded, too tired to argue. Once daylight came, he'd send a team to figure out exactly what happened in the tree. A little investigation would quickly answer all his questions as to why Riley fell.

~~~NCIS~~~

Riley moaned and grabbed his head, grimacing in pain. Where was he? Why did his head hurt so much? He forced his eyes open and stared around in confusion as he recognized the sterile environment. He was in the hospital. He groaned as he pulled himself into a sitting position.

"How's the noggin?"

Riley blinked a few times to clear his vision. Guilt smacked him in the gut when he saw Gibbs stand up from a nearby chair and walk to his side. "Hurts."

"I can imagine. You took a pretty hard smack to the head. Let me call the nurse…"

"No! Please, I'm fine. Gimme a minute," Riley choked out hoarsely.

Gibbs reached for a glass of ice water on the side table and offered it to Riley. Riley accepted it gratefully. Gibbs helped Riley situate himself, sitting up with pillows behind his back. Riley managed a smile in appreciation.

"What time is it?"

Gibbs looked at his watch. "Nearly 5 am."

Riley closed his eyes, suddenly being smacked in the face with memories of the night before. He sat forward, ready to swing his legs over the side of the bed but Gibbs caught him.

"Oh, no you don't. Stay put." Gibbs' voice was firm.

"Makayla…"

"Is fine. She's sleeping in the next room; now relax." Riley looked at Gibbs and scowled. "It's not a request in case you think it is." Gibbs' face was determined.

Riley sat back once again and shook his head. He'd really screwed up. He figured he was about to see the real side to Agent Gibbs. It would only be a matter of time before the man would follow through with his earlier threat to introduce him to his woodshed. And at this point, Riley hardly could blame him. It was Riley's fault that Makayla had fallen.

"H-how hurt is she?" he managed to whisper.

"She took a good smack to the head, much like you did but she'll be fine. Don't worry about it for now. Let's just get you home. The doctor said you both can go home after lunch. You will need a few days of rest but you'll be fine." Gibbs reached out and messed up his hair. "I'm told you have a hard head."

Riley didn't smile.

"Hey, don't look so forlorn. We'll work things out, okay?"

Riley shook his head. "I screwed up…I should have secured the rigging better. I shouldn't have remained on my feet…I know better…I-I…"

Gibbs put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Riley, we all make mistakes. It's okay. Mak is safe and so are you. The rest we can deal with later."

"NO! Don't you get it? Mak falling was my fault!" Riley shouted the words and it made Gibbs take a step back in surprise.

Right then a nurse stepped into the room scolding them both. It was early and she didn't appreciate their voices disturbing her other patients in the unit. Riley harrumphed as Gibbs apologized and promised to not agitate Riley further. The nurse checked Riley's vitals and asked him about his pain management. Riley growled at her to leave him alone as he slumped back down in the bed. The nurse left with a final warning for them to be respectful to others.

"We need to work on your manners," said Gibbs once she disappeared out the door. Riley frowned at him even as he saw the twinkle in the older man's eyes.

"Shut-up."

Gibbs chuckled. "I'll let you away with that since I can't do anything about it."

This time a smirk did play on Riley's lips.

"Try to rest for a few more hours." Gibbs pulled his chair over closer to the side of Riley's bed.

"You don't need to stay."

"I know," said the older man, situating himself in the chair once again. Riley watched as Gibbs slumped down in the chair, crossed his arms and closed his eyes. Clearly, the man planned to stay the course. That knowledge made Riley relax inside. He'd never known anyone to care enough to stay. Obviously, Gibbs was different.

"Gibbs?"

"Yah?"

"I'm sorry…I…"

"Shhh, we'll have lots of time to talk later. I'm trying to sleep."


	9. Chapter 9

_**Hello Wonderful readers,**_

_**This chapter is a bit of angst and fluff and just tying up some loose hospital ends...**_

_**Thanks to my reviewers: ancilla89, DS2010, Hippiechic81 (hang in there...Abby will be chatting with Papa Gibbs soon enough)**_

_**To my dear Guest reviewer: Your post touched my heart...I am so sorry you are struggling with depression. I don't know what has triggered this in you but I send you a great big MOM hug. You will be in my prayers, dear one. Hang in there and never give in to the dark thoughts. Take captive those thoughts and know that you are precious and loved. ((HUGS))**_

_**Mindless Creations: sending you lots of love, my dear fanfiction friend...you are one of my biggest encouragers and I appreciate it so very much!**_

_**To everyone who reads along without giving a review...I hope you are enjoying the story. :)**_

_**Enjoy!**_

Makayla wrinkled her forehead, instantly regretting the decision. Pain shot across her head and down her jaw into her ears. Just how hard had she hit her head? As she gained consciousness, her ears were assaulted by angry words. When she recognized the voices, she kept her eyes tightly closed. Her parents were arguing about her. Again. Same as always.

"…how dare you insinuate that this is _MY_ fault, Michael Wallace!" her mother screeched.

"Keep your voice down, you'll wake her!" snapped her father.

"That girl is out of control, Michael. THAT is not my fault."

"Julia, listen to me…"

"I'm not going to change my mind. You know as well as I do that pursuing a career in the arts is just silly, schoolgirl nonsense. I'm not saying that she can't have a hobby one day but for now, it's best if we curb this foolishness. Makayla is 14 years old. She needs us to make the hard decisions for her now. One day she will thank us."

Makayla heard her father sigh and she recognized it as a sigh of resignation. She'd heard it hundreds of times before. Her father was beginning to wear down and give in. Again. Like he always did all the times before. Nothing was ever going to change. Tears burned in Makayla's eyes and silently ran down her cheeks. Her head pounded and her stomach ached.

"Julia, Makayla isn't like you or Melissa. Actually, I don't even think Melissa…"

"Don't you bring Melissa into this…"

"Why not? The only reason Melissa doesn't give you a hard time is that she's a people pleaser. God, Julia, the girls aren't your puppets. They have their own dreams!"

"You can't be serious!" snipped her mother, her voice becoming more and more high pitched. "Why do you always have to take the girls' side on everything? Can't you ever have a little backbone? You always make me the heavy!"

"That's not true! I'm trying to listen to them and hear what they want. Sometimes, we need to give a little…"

"Just stop it! I'm finished discussing this. When Makayla is released, we'll take her home and tell her exactly how things will be. She will be punished if she disobeys further. I will not stand by and see her squander her God-given intelligence. The headmaster will make sure she is properly disciplined in our absence."

Makayla flinched despite herself and a sob escaped her lips. "P-please stop fighting," she moaned. Her eyes remained closed as tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Kayla? Sweetheart?" said her father. Makayla felt his hand brush away her tears. "Shhh, don't cry. Julia, go get the nurse."

Thankfully, Makayla didn't hear her mother argue anymore and when she heard the door open and close, she forced her eyes to open. Her father's fretful face eyed her carefully making her choke back more sobs. Guilt gnawed at her when she saw the concern etched on his face. None of this was his fault. He was only guilty of being henpecked or maybe bullied was a better word. The Shepard women were not so easily persuaded when they believed themselves to be right; she should know because more Shepard blood flowed through her veins than Wallace. Suddenly, Riley's face flashed in her mind.

"Riley?" A panicked feeling washed over her. Was Riley okay?

"Shh, he's fine. He's eating breakfast with Agent Gibbs and waiting for you to wake up. Are you in pain?"

Makayla tried to sit up, but a wave of nausea hit her, forcing her back down. "Are you sure he's okay, daddy. I want to see him."

He patted her shoulder gently. "He's fine and you can after the doctor says it's okay," he assured her.

"Help me sit up."

Her father assisted her in sitting up, shoving several pillows behind her back as he elevated the bed for her. He offered her a drink, which she accepted. Her tears began to dissipate as her father rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand. "Better?"

She nodded with a sniffle.

"Don't get yourself all worked up, Kayla. We will work this out, okay?"

She shook her head, feeling too exhausted to fight. "No, we won't but it's okay; I give up. I don't care anymore." Makayla felt defeated, guilty and nervous all at once. Riley was in all probability upset with her, Gibbs was going to lambaste her for running away, and her father was just being kind now, but she was sure she would be reprimanded by him in time as well. Things were a mess.

"Kayla, don't be like this. Of course, you care…"

She looked him in the eye. "Nope, I don't and you might as well yell at me now. No need to be nice to me just because I bumped my head. I'm fine…just have a headache."

Her father's face darkened a little. "Oh, trust me; we will discuss this thoroughly but not now. Not today. You need to rest…"

Tears filled her eyes again. "I'm sorry, daddy."

He leaned down and kissed her. "I know you are, sweetie."

Just then Julia came in with the doctor in tow, looking irritated. The doctor looked equally annoyed which didn't surprise Makayla. Her mother could irritate Mother Theresa. Thankfully, the irritation melted away when he saw Makayla sitting up. He checked her pupils and then smiled at her, poking her nose playfully.

"You look great, kiddo! Head hurt?"

"A little."

"It might for today. The good news is there was no concussion. You have your hard head to thank for that." He winked at her playfully. "I'll give a prescription to your parents for something a little stronger than Advil or Tylenol if you need it. It'll help if the pain persists, but I think you'll be dancing pirouettes by tomorrow. Can you do me a favour though…"

She furrowed her brow as he spoke, thinking she'd never done a pirouette in her life. She hated dance…and drama…and well, just about anything of the sort. She was far too clumsy for it. "What's that?"

"Stay out of trees for a while."

Makayla gave him a smile. "Don't worry! I hate heights."

The doctor laughed this time, gave her parents some instructions and signed off on her release. She could go home after breakfast. Sadly, the news didn't excite her.

"Hey, Princess, why the frown?" the doctor asked when he saw her deflated look.

Her mother stepped forward. "Probably because she realizes how much trouble she's in."

The doctor scowled and looked at her mother. "She's a teenager, Mrs. Wallace. Pretty sure it's part of their DNA to find trouble. Forgiveness goes a long way."

Julia crossed her arms while glowering at Makayla. "She inconvenienced a lot of people over something silly. There's no excuse for that. She's old enough to know better."

The doctor clucked his tongue at her mother, and Makayla was fairly certain the man was telling her mother off in his mind. The thought gave Makayla some pleasure in the moment.

He patted her hand kindly. "Take care, Makayla."

She managed a warm smile for him. "Thanks."

Once the doctor exited the room, Julia jumped into action. She walked to the cupboard and took out Makayla's clothing. "Michael, bring the car around while I help Makayla get ready to go home."

"Julia, the nurse is bringing her breakfast…"

"I'll not have her eating that garbage when Dominique can make us a proper brunch at home."

Her father nodded his head and sighed. "Okay, but I promised I'd take her to see Riley before we leave and that's what I'm going to do."

Julia waved a dismissive hand. "Fine, whatever. Go on. Leave us alone so she can get dressed."

Makayla's heart rate picked up in her chest as she watched her father leave the room. Now she would face her mother. Alone. And it wasn't going to be pretty. Not even a little.

~~NCIS~~

Gibbs swung Janessa up into his arms when Tony walked in with her and Aimee in tow. Gibbs had spent the night and was glad to see his giggly, happy girls.

"Ness! I missed you," he said as he pressed a kiss on her blond head. The smell of maple filled his senses and he imagined she had pancakes or waffles for breakfast before Tony brought her in.

She giggled. "Tony wakes me up with his scratchy cheek." Her eyes sparkled. "Then we goes to get pancakes at the Camoose house."

Gibbs laughed. "Do you mean the Caboose house?" The Caboose House was a local restaurant located close to the hospital. It served breakfast all day and had the best coffee in the area.

Janessa tilted her head like a puppy would at an odd sound. "I dunno…it's the train car that used to go at the end all the trains. Is that a camoose or a caboose, Tony?"

Gibbs looked up to see the five o'clock shadow adorning Tony's face. The younger man had dark circles under his eyes but looked happy enough. "Caboose, Monster," he corrected with a grin.

Gibbs smiled at Tony's term of affection for his daughter. Tony liked to call her his Loch Ness Monster and the name had stuck. She was a mischievous little monster…cute and cuddly like the ones on Sesame Street.

"I had crepes, daddy," said Aimee softly. Aimee held Tony's hand, looking at Gibbs a little sheepishly. Gibbs suddenly remembered their argument the day before. It seemed like a lifetime ago and they'd never had time to make amends. Gibbs felt a sudden wave of guilt wash over him. Sometimes he really sucked in the dad department. He set Janessa down to her feet and instantly, she made a mad dash for Riley. Gibbs barely had enough time to catch her before she tumbled off his bed. He lifted her onto the bed beside Riley before turning to open his arms to Aimee. She hesitated a moment then rushed into his arms in tears.

"Hey, now, all is forgiven, Aims. No need to cry." He scooped her up in his arms, even though she was getting much too big for that at nine years old. She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered apologies in his ear. He pressed a kiss on her cheek and tickled her a little. "I forgive you."

Aimee seemed to want to hold on to him a little longer so he moved to the nearest chair and sat down. He looked to see Janessa smoothing Riley with kisses. Tony was laughing and attempting to rescue Riley's breakfast tray.

"Is your head okay, Riley?" asked Janessa, she pulled him towards her by the ears and kissed his head.

"It is now, squirt," laughed Riley tucking her little wiggly body under his arm.

"Tony says you fell out of a banana tree."

Gibbs laughed. "A cork tree, Janessa."

"Oh," she wrinkled up her nose, looking perplexed. "How comes you said it peeled like a banana?" she asked Tony.

Riley tickled her and handed her his banana from his breakfast tray. "The bark peels like a banana."

Janessa peeled the banana and took a large bite out of it. "Does it grow bananas?" she asked with her mouth full of the yellow fruit.

Gibbs chuckled, "No, silly goose. Don't talk with your mouth full. I'll show you a picture later when we get home." He looked at Riley. "Ready to go?"

Riley nodded. "I think so. The doctor said he needed to sign my release first though."

"Is Mackie okay?" asked Aimee, wriggling down off Gibbs' lap. Gibbs reached out and playfully swatted her behind making her screech and giggle.

"She's just fine. How about you come with me to find the doctor and we'll peek in on her."

Gibbs stood to his feet and reached out his hand; Aimee took it with a smile. "Help Riley get ready to go home, DiNozzo." He turned to look at the blonde monkey eating a banana in Riley's lap and pointed at her. "You be good."

Janessa crossed her eyes at him as he left the room with Aimee.

He swung his arm as he walked and looked down at his little firecracker. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I was worried when Tony told me what happened. Why did Makayla run away?"

Gibbs looked down at her for a moment before scanned his surroundings, hoping to see Dr. Mooney on his rounds. "It's complicated, honey."

Aimee seemed to accept his words but said, "Is she in trouble for running away?"

Gibbs shrugged, "If she was mine, she would be in big trouble," He felt Aimee's hand fidget in his. He wanted to be sure his message was loud and clear in that respect. He would not permit running away anymore from her and he wanted to be sure she knew that. "But that's up to her parents to decide. Right now, she needs to rest for a few days."

Aimee was quiet a moment, then said, "I'm glad she's okay."

Gibbs squeezed her hand. "Me too, sweetie."

They rounded a corner near the nurse's desk but found no one so Gibbs decided to return to their hall and stop in on Makayla. He hadn't seen her since they had taken her to hospital by ambulance the night before. When Gibbs saw the door where Makayla was supposed to be, he went to knock on the door but was alarmed to hear the cross voices coming from inside.

"I don't care, Makayla and if you do not stop this nonsense at once, you will be punished!"

"I hate you…I wish you never came back home!"

_SMACK._

Gibbs decided he would take that cue to walk in. He knocked loudly to announce his presence and opened the door. Makayla sat on the edge of the bed with her hand on her cheek. Her eyes were red-rimmed and tears stained her other cheek. Julia was standing beside her daughter looking enraged with her hands resting on her hips. She looked up and glared at Gibbs. He could tell that she was not impressed with him barging in on her. Gibbs felt Aimee yank her hand away from him and was instantly at Makayla's side hugging her.

"Hey, what's going on?" asked Gibbs, knowing he was intruding but hoping to defuse the situation. He had no patience for parents who smacked kids in the face. As much as he believed in corporal punishment when appropriate, he also believed it should be applied to a more padded area of the anatomy. He also made it a goal to never strike a child in anger. Julia was vibrating in anger.

Julia dropped her hands to her side and sighed. "Normal people knock and seek permission to enter a room, Jethro. They do NOT barge in."

Gibbs nodded his head in agreement with her. He knew that it was true enough. Makayla could have been in a state of undress, but his concern for her superseded his judgment. He eyed Makayla who looked too distraught to care about his entrance.

"Normal people do not strike their child across the face."

Julia glared at him. "Stay out of this, Jethro. I'm warning you."

"Why don't you step out and get a cup of coffee, Julia."

If looks could kill, Gibbs felt sure he'd be on Ducky's autopsy table right now.

"I think you're the one who should leave. Michael is bringing the car around, and we're going home."

Gibbs tried to ignore the irritation raging inside of him and walked over to Makayla who was still sitting on the edge of the bed, holding her cheek. Tears ran down her hand and cheek, but she said nothing.

"How are ya this morning, Mak?"

She shrugged and lowered her hand from her face. Gibbs grimaced at the bright red handprint on her cheek. He had to swallow the anger bubbling up inside him. Julia had no right to hit Makayla like that. It was a parent's job to be the adult and not lash out at the child. If anyone knew that, he did. So many times, he'd been tempted to lose his cool with Aimee but he didn't.

"How's the head?" he asked, embracing her in a side hug. He eyed Aimee's face as well. Her big round eyes were laced with concern. He winked at her to help ease her mind. He didn't need her coming unglued.

"Hurts a little," whispered Makayla, looking at him with sheepishly. Gibbs' heart lurched in his chest when he heard her meek voice. He could tell the girl was worried about him being angry with her as well. She'd been accountable to him for behaviour in the past, so it was easy to understand why she was confused as to who she was accountable to now. "I'm sorry I didn't…"

Gibbs put a finger on her lips to quiet her and winked at her. "You and me are just fine, Mackie. I'm not upset and you're not in trouble with me." He saw the look of relief wash over her face and she melted into his hug.

"Don't coddle her, Jethro. She's in plenty of trouble with me," snapped Julia, wrapping one arm around her waist the way Jenny often did when she was irritated with him.

"I'm sorry, Mom…" Makayla mumbled, pulling away from Gibbs. "I know I worried everyone."

Julia took a deep breath and for a moment eyed her daughter with sympathy. "You did more than worry us, Makayla. Don't you see? You could have fallen from that tree and been killed!"

Gibbs couldn't disagree with Julia's words. He could have seen himself saying much of the same to her. Makayla had made some foolish choices. He couldn't fault her parents for disciplining her in some way, but Julia owed her daughter an apology for slapping her face. That was never appropriate behaviour for an adult to do with a child.

"I'm sorry," mumbled Makayla again. Gibbs hugged her again. There wasn't much else the teen girl could say in her defence. He understood that. If it was him, he would have spanked her and been done with it. It would have eased her guilt and shown her that her actions had consequences. A part of Gibbs ire niggled at him. He'd given the girl a way to escape and she'd still chosen to run away. She'd even apologized as she did it despite the warning he'd given her. She knew full well what she was doing. Gibbs squeezed her a little tighter and kissed her brow. It was probably better he wasn't the one responsible to discipline her this time. Things would have definitely become heated between them.

Julia sighed again. "Never mind, we'll discuss it more at home."

As if on cue, Michael strode into the room, a look of weariness etched on his face. He frowned when he saw the pink handprint fading away on Makayla's face but to his credit, he didn't stir up the waters any further. Gibbs had a great deal of respect for the man. Michael loved his wife despite her abysmal temperament. Gibbs could understand that. Gibbs' attraction to Jenny overrode his sanity sometimes as well. As much as Jenn was hotheaded and irritating, her passion for life sparked something deep in Gibbs. It was contagious.

Michael walked over to Makayla and reached out for her hand. "Let's go see, Riley."

Makayla's eyes lit up at the words and Gibbs released his hold on her. "Good idea. He's been asking about you since he woke up this morning."

"Is he mad at me?"

Gibbs mussed up her hair with a smile. "The only person Riley gets mad at is me."

Makayla smirked.

~~NCIS~~

Makayla walked into the room to see Riley playing Rock, Paper and Scissors with Janessa who was snuggled up to him in the bed. Gibbs came in behind her as well as her parents.

Makayla turned to Gibbs. "Can me and Riley talk alone for a minute?" She pleaded with him with her eyes.

Gibbs answered her by scooping Janessa out of Riley's bed. "C' mon giggle monster, help me and Aimee find the doctor so we can sign Riley out and go home."

Janessa's eyes lit up. "Can we gets ice cream, daddy?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes at her, attacking her with kisses. "You are an ice cream monster."

Janessa giggled.

Tony stood from his chair beside Riley and pulled Makayla into a tight embrace. He ran a protective hand up her back and rested it on the back of her head. "Glad you're okay, Tree Monkey."

Makayla couldn't help but giggle at his nickname for her. Climbing trees was not her thing. Climbing any height wasn't her thing. She'd never be able to explain to anyone, including herself, how she'd managed to find the courage to climb the tree in the first place. She had a superpower she didn't even know she possessed.

Tony pulled away, grabbing Aimee from behind, and lifting her onto his shoulders and walking from the room. Makayla heard her squeal as she grabbed his neck for dear life. "Tony!"

Makayla pleaded with her parents as well as they stood in the doorway watching her. Gibbs put his hand on Mike's shoulders. "A few minutes isn't going to matter, is it?" he said softly and left the room with Janessa in his arms. Makayla was relieved when her father took that cue and ushered her mother from the room. Eventually, everyone left, leaving her and Riley alone.

Riley swung his legs out of the bed and rested his feet on the floor. He was dressed in his dirty blue jeans from the night before. Makayla winced when she saw the angry stitches in his forehead.

"Does it hurt?"

He shrugged. "Nah, nothing I can't handle. You?" He pointed to her bruised head.

She brushed her hand across her head and gave him a weak smile. "A little, but I'll live."

Riley awkwardly stood to his feet and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Makayla's smile wobbled. "Riley, I'm so sorry…"

Riley's head jerked up, looking surprised. "You're sorry? Whatever for?"

"I was struggling so much that I made you fall…"

"What? No!" he said, almost shouting the words. "I fell because I made some dumb choices. It had nothing to do with you, Mak."

"But…"

Riley crossed the space between them until he stood in her personal bubble and tipped up her chin to look him in the eye. "I am Marine trained, Mak. Rescue rigging is second nature to me. I shouldn't have taken out the earpiece Gibbs gave me. He was pissing me off so much last night, but I still shouldn't have removed it. I fell because of me, not you. Got it?"

Makayla blinked and her bottom lip trembled. "I saw you fall…" Makayla swallowed the lump in her throat. "I thought…I thought…"

Riley dropped her chin and placed a finger on her lips. "Listen to me, I'm fine. Don't own any part of last night but your own choices, okay? I think we both have enough to worry about without borrowing anyone else's troubles"

Makayla nodded and took a step back, tucking her long hair behind her ears. She wiped a tear that escaped down her cheek. "Thanks, Riley."

He smirked at her. "For what?"

"Talking me down."

"Anytime, Tree Monkey."

"Great, now you and Tony have a new nickname for me."

"If the shoe fits…" Riley messed up her hair and walked over to the closet, grabbing his sweater. Makayla watched as he pulled it over his head. She smiled again. Riley was not just her hero, but he was also her confidante. Riley seemed to understand her as no one else did. Her heart beat a little faster in her chest. _And he's cute too_, she thought with a smile pulling at her lips.

"Riley?"

"Yah?" He shut the closet door and turned to face her again.

"Do you really think 'playing the game' will really work?" She used her fingers to quote the words.

Riley sat in the chair and pulled on his socks and shoes. "Yes, I do. Your mother isn't going to back down, is she?"

She shook her head. Her mother was never going to change her mind and her father was helpless to do anything to stop her.

Riley sat up with a sigh. "When do they go back to Europe?"

"Usually the day after New Years."

"Okay, so you play the perfect compliant daughter until Christmas Break and then after they go back to work, do whatever it takes to get your classes back again."

Makayla ran her tongue across her teeth thoughtfully. "And just how do I do that?"

Riley walked over to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder conspiratorially. "Piece of cake."


	10. Chapter 10

_**Thanks for all your reviews! I love reading them and it spurs me on to keep writing. :)**_

_**We are at the cottage finally...kids stay so busy which gives me time to write more. So many things to do here and I can even sign everyone up for day camp...even the Littles. Soooo relaxing...today we floated in the pool for two hours while the babies napped. This is the life!**_

_**Just wanted to say a special thanks to all the people who took time to review.**_

_**Thanks to DS2010, smush68 (some big brother Tony in this chapter), Guest, AureaD, Chrischime, 90The General09 and Mindless Creations.**_

_**stareagle: no, I can't get the shingles vaccine until I've been shingles-free for one year. Thankfully, the annoying things have healed and I'm feeling much better. Thanks for asking :)**_

_**Go4gold: so sorry you don't enjoy the Abby storyline...I like to include her in a little for those who adore her.**_

_**Guest: stay tuned to the Riley storyline...Riley made some mistakes but not as many as he thinks...explanations will come as the story unfolds.**_

_**I hope you all enjoy.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Jenny :)**_

Gibbs knelt down once again and handed Janessa the bath crayons which she happily took from him. He quickly decided that his knees had had enough of a workout for this bath time and moved to sit on the toilet seat. Janessa had already been playing in the tub for twenty minutes and he didn't see himself being able to convince her to get out for a long while yet.

"Where's the red, daddy?" asked the bubble-covered, drowned rat that had once looked like his daughter.

He reached out and wiped some soap suds off her face with a big grin. He couldn't help but smile on his face where she was concerned; she looked so darn adorable all covered in bubbles. "Is it missing?" he said nonchalantly, knowing full well that he'd purposely left the crayon behind in the drawer. He'd barely just finished scrubbing his tub from her last bath and he had no intention of letting that crayon near his tub ever again. He owed Tony a good head slap for buying the annoying things in the first place. They rated up there with those irritating plastic push ball poppers.

"I can'ts draw apples without a red," she said, a pout forming on her lips.

Gibbs reached out and grabbed her green crayon. "Why not? Green apples are yummy too."

"But I wants red apples."

"Sorry, Ness, the red one must be missing."

The little girl gave him her best look of annoyance before turning to draw green apples on the wall of the white tub. Gibbs smiled, hoping it was just that easy, but with his little munchkin, he could never tell. A knock was heard at his door and Gibbs reached to pull the door open further. Riley poked his head around the corner. Gibbs could read a number of different expressions on his face but after a second or two, the teen schooled his features and gave him a thin smile to mask all the rest.

"Hey, Riley, what's up?" Gibbs was surprised to see the young man seeking him out. Ever since they'd come home from the hospital a few days ago, the kid had been avoiding him. Gibbs was content with giving him space for a day or two, but he'd planned to speak with him after the girls were in bed tonight.

"Got a minute?"

"Sure, come on in."

Riley stood in the doorway, looking uncertain.

"Hi, Riley," said Janessa warmly, attempting to stand up in the tub. Gibbs reached out to grasp her by the arm so she wouldn't slip in all the soapy bubbles.

"Sit, Ness. Bubbles make the tub more slippery," he cautioned firmly.

The little girl sat again. "I'm drawing an apple tree," she announced using her soapy, green and blue covered hand to brush her wet hair out of her eyes. Blue and green streaks lined her hair and her forehead as a result.

Riley stepped into the small bathroom and leaned against the sink. "It's a masterpiece, Nessie." He pulled his phone from his pocket and snapped a picture of the artwork, showing it to her.

She wrinkled up her nose. "Are you gonna post that online?"

Riley looked surprised. "How do you know about that kind of stuff?"

Janessa gave him a long-suffering look. "Cuz Aimee talks about wanting a phone alls the time."

Riley and Gibbs both laughed at her animated expressions and rolled eyes.

"Riley's not gonna post your picture online," Gibbs assured her matter-a-factly more for Riley's benefit than hers. Gibbs did not want any pictures of his girls online, especially after the nightmare he'd just gone through with Aimee. He saw Riley nod his understanding and felt it was a safe subject to drop for the moment. Gibbs made a mental note to bring the topic up with his team at a later date, particularly Abby. His Goth girl was always snapping pictures of Aimee and Janessa. He needed to make it clear that no one was ever to post a picture of his girls faces online.

"What's up, Rye?" asked Gibbs, brushing Janessa's hair out of her eyes again.

Riley fidgeted nervously for a moment, which struck Gibbs as odd. Riley usually portrayed himself as Mr. Cool whenever anyone spoke to him. "Uh, yah. Can I borrow your truck?"

Gibbs frowned. "Well, that depends."

"On what?"

"Have you had a chance to get your licence stuff worked out?" Gibbs knew the answer without asking.

Colour touched Riley's cheeks. "Yah, about that…"

"Yah."

"I plan to make an appointment with the DMV later this week."

"I see, well then, I guess you already know the answer to your question." Riley sighed and Gibbs could both hear and see the frustration mounting in the boy. "I take it you don't like that answer."

"No, I don't." Riley stood up a little straighter. "I need your truck now not next week."

"I understand that, but I already made my thoughts clear on that." Gibbs looked at his watch noting the time. "It's getting late. Where do you need to go so badly?"

Riley furrowed his brow. "Late? It's eight o'clock. That's hardly late, and I don't know why it's any of your business."

Gibbs was taken aback. "Uh, it is my business." He pointed to himself. "Guardian, remember?"

Riley puffed out his cheeks and turned to leave. "Never mind; I'll take the bus."

Gibbs stood to his feet. "Riley, wait. Where do you need to go this time of night?"

"Nowhere," snapped Riley walking out the door.

Gibbs looked to see that Janessa was still happily drawing on the wall before rushing out the door, grabbing Riley by the arm. "Hey, that's not how things work around here." He pulled Riley towards him so he could still see Janessa. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the tension mounting. Nothing could be easy these days. He needed to be on his toes at all times. Gone were the days when his home was his quiet bachelor sanctum.

"Let me go," growled Riley, pulling away from him.

Gibbs let go but frowned. "Hey, knock off the attitude and talk to me. I'm not saying you can't go; I just want to know where. That's all."

Riley crossed his arms and refused to make eye contact. "If you must know, I'm going to see Makayla."

"Mak?" Gibbs hadn't heard a peep from Makayla or her family since they returned home a few days ago. He was curious about how things were going but he didn't want to overstep any boundaries. He'd called Jenn to ask but she said she hadn't heard anything either. Gibbs was hoping the family reunion was going well.

"I haven't heard from her since we left the hospital. She hasn't even texted…and I…uh…I'm worried." Riley finally allowed Gibbs to see the concern on his face.

Gibbs gave Riley a compassionate smile. "I see."

"It's not like her, Agent Gibbs." he continued. "Mak lives on her phone."

Gibbs had to agree with that pronouncement. Makayla's phone was like a part of her hand, similar to most teen girls he supposed. He didn't look forward to that part of parenting at all. Gibbs felt his gut churn a little, telling him that things probably weren't going as well on the Wallace home front as he'd hoped. If they'd taken Makayla's phone, life in the Wallace household would not be a peaceful one.

"I'm guessing her parents took her phone as a consequence, Riley," Gibbs concluded.

Riley's brows found his hairline. "But why?"

Janessa disappeared under the bubbly water and came up again with a giggle. Gibbs couldn't help but smile as he watched her. The kid was part fish. He thought about that for a moment and how he wanted to put in an above ground pool for the girls in the spring. He turned to see Riley's confused eyes staring at him.

"You don't think she deserves consequences for what she did?"

Riley shook his head. "No. I don't. Mak took off because she had no other choice."

Gibbs thought about that, trying to picture things from Riley's perspective instead of his own. In his mind, he did believe Makayla deserved some kind of consequence for her decisions that night but Riley didn't know the whole story so he supposed it looked like Mak was the victim.

"Riley, she had choices and taking off wasn't a smart thing to do."

"She only did that because her mom was being such an asshole."

Gibbs couldn't disagree with Riley's perspective. Julia was being very difficult and part of him wanted to intervene on Mak's behalf too but it wasn't his place. "Makayla had choices," he reiterated, not wanting to go into detail with Riley. "And watch your language in front of Ness, please.

Riley growled in irritation. "They weren't listening to her, Gibbs! Damn it, it's her life! Hell, my dad used to pound my face in but I still had a say in what courses I wanted to take in school."

"Daddy, I think I know where the red is," piped up Janessa who stood to her feet and quick as a flash placed her wet foot on the edge of the tub.

Gibbs' quick reflexes caught her slippery body just as her foot slipped. Gibbs nearly lost his balance but righted himself, holding Janessa in his arms. He scowled at her, his heart and mind racing at what could have happened. Janessa's eyes were wide in astonishment as she stared up at him.

"Janessa!" he scolded sternly. "Never stand on the edge of the tub with wet or dry feet. It's very dangerous."

Janessa's bottom lip trembled and tears filled her eyes. She hid her face in his shirt as he balanced her on his hip, trying to calm himself down. "But I wants the red crayon, daddy," she mumbled into his shirt which was now soaked.

Gibbs pulled her away from him so he could see her face. Her watery eyes found his as a sulky pout settled across her face. Without a word, he leaned forward and pulled the plug. Janessa's eyes widened when she realized her bath was finished and she began to cry. "No, no, I'm nots done yet," she wailed.

Gibbs reached for a towel and wrapped it around her. "I'm sorry but you're all done for tonight."

That pronouncement only served to send her into a full-blown tantrum which Gibbs did his best to ignore. He looked up to see Riley still standing in the doorway, observing him. The teenager looked lost and frustrated. Gibbs couldn't blame him. It seemed that most times when Riley did seek him out for a conversation, they were interrupted by one of the girls.

"Can we discuss this more when I'm finished here?" asked Gibbs.

Riley nodded with a look of disappointment washing over his face, but he didn't make a move to leave. Gibbs was perplexed but Riley stood still watching him wrestle with Janessa. The little girl wriggled in his arms, trying to escape his hold on her. Instinctively, he set her feet to the floor to readjust his hold on her but she managed to slip out of his grasp, the towel falling away in his hands. In seconds, her foot was over the side of the tub and he grabbed her again. "No, Ness. Bath time is over." He pulled her out again, wrapping the towel around her for modesty but she pulled it off and stood buck naked with her arms crossed.

Gibbs reached for the showerhead and proceeded to rinse the tub making sure the water wasn't too hot before reaching to pick up Janessa once more. With one hand, he placed her back into the tub to rinse her. She glowered at him and then began screaming loudly in protest. Gibbs continued to ignore her outburst as he began to rinse her off but was becoming increasingly more irritated. He forced himself to swallow down his ire and kept his cool. Janessa definitely made it clear when she wasn't happy.

"Janessa, that's enough crying. I need to rinse off the soap."

She smacked at the showerhead, trying to push it away from her as her legs went limp. Gibbs felt his back protest as he took her full weight and had to make sure she didn't fall into the tub. He quickly finished rinsing her off, including her hair which only made her scream louder in protest. In as much as she loved swimming in the tub, she hated it when Gibbs rinsed her hair.

"If you weren't fighting me, I would have been able to hold a cloth over your eyes," he said softly, trying to show sympathy for her plight.

She sputtered in response, still crying and swinging her arms to push him away. Gibbs turned off the water when he was satisfied that she was rinsed enough. He stood up with a groan, trying to stretch out the kink he was developing in his back from hunching over. He reached for a dry towel and stooped over to scoop her up but she inched away from him and reached to turn the water back on. He stopped her before she could flip on the hot water tap. "Janessa Gibbs!" he scolded.

She scowled up at him defiantly.

"C'mon, stand up." He grabbed her by the hand so she would be able to stand up without slipping. She shook her head no, still crying and sniffling as she yanked her hand away.

Gibbs looked behind him to see that Riley was still watching silently. He took a deep breath, swallowing down his instinct to land a swat on the child's backside. He'd promised himself he wouldn't use any corporal punishment around Riley. He didn't like the look of terror that flashed across Riley's face even when he playfully smacked McGee or DiNozzo across the back of the head. _Plenty of parents raise kids without spanking_ _and I can too_, he thought to himself as Janessa batted at his hand crossly. _Maybe._

"I don't want to gets out!" she snapped.

Gibbs gritted his teeth as he scooped her out of the tub kicking and screaming. He did his best to keep a good hold on her as she fought against him. He walked past Riley and into his room where he'd left her pyjamas. He set her down on the bed where she threw herself backward and continued her tantrum. Gibbs crossed his arms and shook his head. His gut was churning. Her tantrum was age-appropriate but everything within him wanted to discipline her for it.

"She's hot-headed, huh?" said Riley, coming up behind him.

"That's an understatement."

Riley smirked a little. "If her 15-year-old self could see this…"

Gibbs looked at Riley and then chuckled. The tension eased out of him as he laughed, imagining Janessa being fifteen and seeing herself completely naked and flailing her arms and legs like she was. She'd be horrified.

"You're pretty chill."

Gibbs looked at him. "You think?" He didn't feel chill in any sense of the word but he was glad Riley saw otherwise.

"Yah. I think my dad would have…" Riley's voice tapered off.

Gibbs put a comforting hand on Riley's back. "I won't do that, Riley. Don't worry."

Riley released a breath he'd been holding and stared as Janessa continued her tantrum. "But you want to."

"Not the way you think."

"It's all the same."

Gibbs shook his head. "It's not."

Riley shook off Gibbs' hand. "Whatever."

Gibbs scrubbed a hand over his face as Janessa's cries grew louder. From what he remembered from his limited parenting experience, kids in the middle of a temper tantrum were either angry or out of control. Out of control kids often needed help getting back under control. Simply holding them and helping them feel safe often did that; but on the other hand, angry kids often wouldn't accept being held and holding them against their will escalated things. Aimee often needed help getting her emotions under control. Janessa's tantrums were different. He had a suspicion that Janessa was just super angry at him. Damn DiNozzo and those crayons. As soon as Janessa went to bed, he was tossing them in the trash.

"Can I go see Mak or what?" Riley said above Janessa's wails.

Gibbs sighed. "Not tonight." He held up a hand to stop Riley from protesting. "I need to deal with her before I can discuss this any further."

Riley puffed out his lips in irritation and went to stalk from the room.

"Don't go anywhere," Gibbs called after him. "We will talk later, I promise."

Riley ignored him and left the room.

~~~NCIS~~~

Riley grabbed his jacket off the coat rack and stormed outside. He walked over to Gibbs' truck and opened the door, climbing inside. He pounded his fists on the steering wheel in frustration. He flipped down the sun visor and the keys fell into his lap. Gibbs always stored a set in his truck and Riley was a quick study about things like that. It would be so easy to just leave and forget about the consequences. What could Gibbs do to him anyway? He certainly couldn't go after him with the girls at home. Knowing Gibbs, he'd probably send DiNozzo after him. Riley put the keys in the ignition waging an internal battle. As he went to turn the key, his gut ached so badly that he grimaced from the tension.

"Damn it!" he groused. He couldn't do it. The fear was too strong...it controlled him and he hated it.

He leaned back in his seat, resting his head against the headrest. When did he become such a coward? He'd been out of combat far too long and it had made him weak. He was too used to taking orders and he'd lost his edge. He'd left too much room for the fear to move in. He needed to break out of his funk. Riley sat forward again and started the truck. Gibbs wasn't his boss. He was a licenced driver and more than capable to drive the truck to go check on Makayla. Gibbs' old fashioned ideas were ridiculous and he didn't need to abide by them. Gibbs would get over it. He listened to the motor rev as he gave it a little gas. For an old truck, it still packed a punch. He held his hand on the gear selector and as he went to move it into gear, his heart pounded hard against his ribcage. A sudden knock at the passenger window made him gasp out loud. He dropped his hand back to the steering wheel as his face went white. Tony DiNozzo stood staring at him with a warm smile on his face. As Riley rolled down the window, what little courage he'd managed to muster up drained away. He switched off the ignition.

"Where are you off to, Rye?" asked Tony, resting his hands on the inside of the window.

"Going to see Mak."

"How's she doing?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. She won't answer her phone."

Tony nodded quietly before saying, "Gibbs around?"

Riley felt his hands trembling as he gripped the steering wheel. "Inside with Janessa."

Tony looked at him for a moment but Riley guiltily looked away. He was busted no matter how he looked at it. If he played it cool and left after Tony went inside, Gibbs would find out. Even if he followed Tony inside, he was busted. Either way, he was screwed.

Tony opened the passenger door, getting in. "Wanna talk?"

"No."

"Okay, then I'll talk and you can listen."

"Do I have a choice?"

"Nope."

Riley groaned and flopped back in the seat.

"Don't get all dramatic. I'm gonna say two things and leave."

Riley turned his head to look at the dark-haired Italian man. Tony was someone he had a hard time figuring out. Most of the time, the guy was a goofball. He joked around, played practical jokes and was the worst womanizer Riley had ever met. Yet, Tony had a thoughtful side as well. He took his job seriously and was a good leader to his team. He was a devoted and loyal friend.

"I'm listening."

Tony leaned back in the truck as well; the two of them sitting in the dim light cast by the street light. It had long since grown dark as the autumn was quickly leaving town to allow winter to reside.

"The first is I know is you like Makayla." Riley opened his mouth to protest but Tony rushed on to qualify his words. "Whether it's a romance thing or not is beside the point. You like her. Am I right?"

"She's my friend."

"Okay. Got it, but you need to understand that the best thing you can do for her is be ready for her when she does reach out. She might not be able to articulate how she feels or maybe she's lost the right to reach out. Whatever the reason, you need to step back and let her reach out to you when she's ready or allowed. Barging in like a raging lion might not be what she needs right now and it might make things worse. Do you want that?"

"No, but…"

"No buts. It is what it is. Let her contact you first. Trust in your friendship. Trust me; she will reach out when she can."

Riley heaved a loud sigh, not liking the advice but at the same time seeing the wisdom in it.

"She needs this time with her parents, Riley."

He shook his head. "Whatever. What else?"

"Let me give you some advice about Gibbs."

Riley rolled his eyes. "Save your breath. I've already got him pegged."

"Yah?"

"Yah."

"Riley, Gibbs has the patience of Job when it comes to kids. You have that in your favour. But he does have a limit. If you push him too far, you might regret it."

Riley narrowed his eyes. "I get it. Everyone has a breaking point."

"That's not what I'm saying. Gibbs doesn't have a breaking point…well, he does but not where kids are concerned. What I mean is he does have a limit to what he puts up with." Tony looked around the truck some before speaking again. "I know about your license…"

"Figures…nothings a secret around here."

"Hey, Gibbs is human, Riley. He needs to be able to bounce things off his friends, just like anyone else. And for your information, he didn't tell me to be a blabbermouth, he told me to ask my opinion. He wanted to make sure he wasn't being unreasonable."

"He is."

"No, I don't think he is. Your entire identity was a façade, Riley. I'm not judging you, but if you're going to make things right, you need to be all in."

Riley turned to face Tony in annoyance. "Look, this is my business, okay? If I want to risk the wrath of the almighty Gibbs, I will. Back off." He reached for the ignition once again, but Tony grabbed his hand.

"Okay, I'm going inside now. What you do is your choice. I never saw you. But let me just say this, Gibbs is a good guy. A fair guy. He's willing to bend over backward for you. He's got your back no matter what you do, but he does have a limit and he will enforce it."

Tony released his hand and got out, walking towards the house.

Riley rested his head on the steering wheel, feeling tears burning hot at the back of his eyes. He was so tired of feeling conflicted and angry. He was so tired of feeling controlled and out of control at the same damned time. He was so tired of feeling guilty. Something had to give or he was going to lose his mind.

"Screw this and screw Gibbs," he said finally, starting the ignition and pulling out of the laneway.


	11. Chapter 11

_**To my wonderful readers! You are all so amazing! Your reviews make me smile and give me ideas all at once...a few of your comments helped shape some of the plot...including the private messages. Thanks :)**_

_**Special thanks to ancilla89, Guest, HannaBananas13 (we call our Hannah...Hannah Banana haha), DS2010, HippieChic18, smush68, fiftyshadeswritergal, KrisShannon, AureaD, Mindless Creations, 90The General09 and Guest.**_

_**Riley is really struggling...poor guy.**_

Tony dropped his keys on the side table as he passed it and bounded up the steps, taking them two at a time, following the loud screaming. He frowned when he recognized that it was Janessa's voice he was hearing. It was a rarity for the youngster to get that upset and he wondered what could have set her off. Once he reached the landing, he saw Aimee walk out of her room holding her fingers in her ears.

"I wouldn't go near Gibbs room if I were you," she warned giving him a hug.

Tony smiled returning the spontaneous embrace. It warmed his heart to see how freely Aimee had embraced and accepted him and her makeshift NCIS family. Tony hadn't felt part of that kind of family since before his mother died and he loved the weird but loving family he was blessed with now. "What's going on with my Loch Ness Monster?"

Aimee pulled away. "Remember those bath crayons you gave her?"

Tony nodded.

"She's living up to your nickname."

Tony frowned. "You mean all that screaming is about bath crayons?"

"Yup, and I'm pretty sure you're gonna get it." Aimee sing sang her words while biting back a bratty smirk when Tony grimaced in response to her words. Tony reached out and tickled her making her giggle.

"Oh yah?" teased Tony, trying to mask his increasing concern over Janessa's high pitched screams.

Aimee squealed as Tony picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. "Don't say I didn't warn you," she giggled as Tony peeked into Gibbs room when he got close enough. He winced in sympathy when he saw Gibbs' weary face. The man held Janessa in his arms and was speaking softly to her. Tony didn't imagine the little girl could hear much of anything through her loud sobbing. The look etched on Gibbs' face told Tony it had been a fierce battle of wills that had in all likelihood ended badly for Janessa.

"What's wrong?" whispered Aimee, noting the change in his demeanour.

"Nothing, Aims," he said, trying to make his voice sound upbeat.

Aimee didn't buy it. "Tell me," she insisted.

"I don't think I'm the only one in trouble," he said, not really explaining what he meant.

Aimee sobered, telling Tony she understood. As she looked at him with watery eyes, he immediately regretted his words. He didn't mean to make the moment worse. Parenting was hard enough without him making Gibbs appear to be the bad guy.

Tony heard Gibbs' soft voice speaking again as Janessa's sobs tapered off into quiet hiccups and sniffles. Tony felt it was a good time to make his presence known and knocked on the door.

"C'mon in," said Gibbs. Tony noted how tired the man sounded, and he felt a little guilty being the bearer of more bad news. He'd heard Riley take off in Gibbs' truck. The older man was not going to be pleased. Tony wondered if the advice he'd given Riley had been useful. Perhaps he should have prevented the teenager from taking off instead of allowing him a choice. He'd honestly thought the kid would cool off and come inside. Obviously, he'd been wrong.

"Hey, Boss," Tony said, coming in quietly with Aimee in tow.

Gibbs nodded his greeting as he rocked the now subdued, hiccuping kindergartener on his lap.

"Hey, Monster," crooned Tony softly, reaching out and brushing her still wet hair off her forehead. "What's all this fuss about?" She lifted her head and managed a soft smile when she saw Tony, reaching her arms out to him. Tony obliged and took her into his arms, wrapping his arms around her tightly. She rested her head on his shoulder but didn't say anything. Gibbs stood to his feet looking soggy and gestured towards Janessa's pyjamas.

"Wanna do the honours?" he asked, wandering over to Aimee and poking at her nose playfully. Aimee perked up a little and she wrapped her arms around him. Gibbs accepted the affection with a thin smile. Tony could see that whatever had taken place had worn Gibbs out.

"Sure," Tony replied, placing a hand on Nessie's back and rubbing it up and down soothingly. He could feel the little girl relaxing in his arms with only an occasional hiccup emitting from her lips.

"I-I cants use the red crayon no more," Janessa whimpered softly.

Gibbs seemed to deflate at the little girl's words.

"That's okay, Monster. Bathtub artwork washes away anyway. Let's put your jammers on and I'll read you a story before bed. Would you like that?"

Janessa lifted her head and scrubbed at her eyes with her fists. "I gots a new book," she offered with a sniffle. Her watery eyes killed him. He couldn't stand to see her looking so downcast and forlorn. He'd make a terrible father. He wouldn't be able to say no and he'd never be able to punish a kid. He made a mental note to do the world a favour and never have kids.

"You do?" he stated cheerfully, kissing her nose.

"Yuh-huh." She wrinkled her nose and squirmed to get down. "I'll show it to you."

Tony set her feet to the floor and the towel sagged around her. Tony reached for her nightgown and pulled it quickly over her head before she escaped his grasp. She brushed her wet, knotted hair out of face as he adjusted the nightie and it fell to her ankles showing off Arielle from Little Mermaid. She looked down at the pink nightgown and a smile formed on her face like the rainbow after a storm. She looked at Gibbs with bright eyes. "You gots me Arielle jammies?" She made a beeline for Gibbs and launched herself into his arms. Tony saw the look of relief in Gibbs' eyes as the blonde-haired imp wrapped her arms around his neck, covering his face in kisses. Gibbs embraced her with a laugh.

"Yup."

She kissed his cheek again, making a loud lip-smacking noise. "I love Arielle." Janessa wrapped her arms around her middle like she was hugging the mermaid. "Thank you, daddy."

"Welcome."

She kissed him again and squirmed to get down, running to grab Tony's hand. "My new book is about Arielle and Flounder getting lost…"

Tony laughed. "Okay, I'll come to your room in a few minutes. Your dad and I need to have a chat real quick first, okay? How about you draw me a picture of Arielle for my fridge while you're waiting?"

A small pout settled on her face but she nodded. "Okay."

Aimee stepped forward to grab her sister's hand. "C'mon, Nessie. Let's both draw some pictures while daddy smacks Tony."

Janessa frowned as Aimee pulled her from the room. "Why's daddy gonna smack Tony?"

Tony never heard her response as Gibbs wandered to his door and closed it after them. After a second or two of silence, Gibbs reached out and head slapped Tony. It wasn't hard, but it was hard enough that Tony felt some of the tension Gibbs felt. Tony, being the animated soul that he was, groaned loudly in response but smiled when he saw the smirk playing on Gibbs' lips. "Feeling better now?"

Gibbs' scowled at him. "Shut-up, DiNozzo." There was no heat behind his words.

Tony burst out laughing.

Gibbs walked into his bathroom and Tony followed him, lifting a brow when he saw the greenish-blue tinge that lined Gibbs' white porcelain tub. "Damn. That doesn't look easy to get off."

Gibbs opened the cupboard under the sink and grabbed the cleanser, handing it to Tony. "It's not. Rule 45, DiNozzo."

Tony continued laughing as he set to work cleaning the tub. He noticed Gibbs watching him with a little too much satisfaction on his face which only made him laugh harder. "Okay…okay, I'm sorry I ever saw those blasted crayons," he sputtered through his laughter.

Gibbs groaned and soon both men were laughing, a much-needed release for Gibbs. It took a minute for Gibbs to compose himself before saying, "Would you mind sticking around for a half-hour or so?" Gibbs hung some towels on the rack. "I need to talk with Riley without any interruptions."

"Sure," said Tony, still scrubbing at the stains.

Gibbs switched on the fan to help cut down on the strong smell of the cleanser. "He's been avoiding me since he came home from the hospital. I've given him some space but I think it's time we clear the air."

"About that," began Tony, rising to his feet and rinsing the tub, "You didn't hear this from me because I never saw the kid but someone fitting his description may or may not have taken your truck for a spin."

Gibbs sobered, his breath catching in the back of his throat for a second before he could exhale. "Damn it." He raked a hand through his hair. "I can't seem to catch a break."

Gibbs walked from the bathroom and Tony followed him. He watched as the older man paced the room a few times before stopping to stare out his window.

"What are you thinking?" Tony dared to ask.

"I don't know what to think."

"If it helps, he said he's worried about Makayla."

Gibbs nodded. "I know."

Tony was silent, not knowing what to say in Gibbs' silence. His boss was known to be a functional mute. He and his co-workers joked about it, but they all knew that silence was a blessing. It meant the man was making decisions and coming up with solutions. Gibbs did his best thinking when he was silent. After a few minutes, Gibbs walked over to his nightstand and picked up his cell phone.

"What are you doing?"

Gibbs dialled a number and put the phone to his ear. "Calling in a favour."

~~~NCIS~~~

Riley couldn't believe his rotten luck. He stared in his rear-view mirror watching the police officer closely. The guy had been nice enough but had asked for his license and registration. Riley pounded the steering wheel with the palm of his hand. If that officer dug deep enough, he would discover Riley's real age and that it differed from his license. He prayed the guy just looked for general information about his driving record, but he wasn't holding his breath.

"Damn it!" he muttered. He heaved a loud sigh as his anxiety level rose to an all-time high. His head pounded to the beat of his racing heart. Gibbs was gonna kill him, pray for his resurrection and kill him again.

Riley stiffened when he saw the officer get out his cruiser and walk towards him. A very big part of him wanted to slam his foot on the accelerator and beat a hasty retreat but he knew when he was busted. The officer came up to his window with a grim expression on settling on his face.

"I'd like you to come with me, sir."

Riley's heart jumped to his throat. "Why?" he dared to ask, his voice wavering.

"Sir, please get out of the truck."

Riley sighed and obeyed. He couldn't make himself disobey even if wanted. It was like he was one of Pavlov's dogs, conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell only his conditioning was to obey authority in uniform. He scoffed at his idiocy. It had nothing to do with obedience out of reverence. It was fear-driven because of his friggin DI from Parris Island. Riley groaned. He was a freak and even he knew it. The officer gestured to his cruiser and Riley walked towards it. Once there, the officer opened the back door and Riley climbed inside. Once the officer arranged himself inside, he turned to face Riley.

"Is there something you need to tell me, son?"

Riley's mouth felt like cotton as he gaped at the man. The man's voice was gentle enough, and laugh lines surrounded his eyes telling Riley that the man lived a joy-filled life which Riley envied. Riley's life would never be joy-filled, at least not as far as he could see.

"Is there something wrong, sir?" Riley was good at playing the game. He'd mastered it a long time ago. Feigning ignorance was his best line of defence. The officer peered at him closely through the plastic cage dividing them. Riley jumped when the man slid the divider open.

The man held up his license just out of his reach. "Anything I need to know about this?"

"No, sir. I've never even had a ticket," answered Riley, sounding as truthful as possible. The part about never having a ticket was the truth.

"I see. Whose truck are you driving?"

Riley swallowed. "You have the registration, sir."

"I do but I'm asking you a question, son. I'd appreciate if you'd answer it."

Riley's pulse increased further and he felt the perspiration grow on his forehead. He'd had his license for two years and had never been stopped by police. The situation was freaking him out, which was ridiculous. He hadn't been speeding nor doing anything wrong…wasn't it considered harassment for an officer to pull you over without telling you what you did wrong?

"What did I do wrong, sir?" Riley thought to ask.

"Nothing. Your right taillight is malfunctioning and I wanted to make you aware."

"Then why am I sitting in the cruiser?"

"I think you know why, son."

Riley's felt a bead of sweat roll down his neck. Why was he freaking out? He began to breathe faster as his mind raced. Suddenly he found himself sitting in the back of another cruiser, but this time he was sitting beside a younger version of himself. What the hell?

_"Just take a deep breath, son and tell me what you saw," _prompted a new voice. He looked up to see another police officer that looked vaguely familiar. Riley saw his younger self widen his eyes. What was going on? He recognized his 10-year-old self and he remembered this moment. It was the day Ryan fell to his death.

_"Why are you just sitting here!"_ he heard himself scream, pounding on the window frantically._ "We've got to get him!"_

"Riley, are you okay?" asked another voice. Riley blinked and looked up; he was back in the first cruiser again looking at the concerned eyes of the officer. Riley shook his head. He was so confused. He wiped the back of his forehead, feeling the moisture on his hand.

"I didn't steal the truck," he blurted but at the same time, he knew it was a lie.

"Hey, there, calm down, son. Do you need a drink of water? You're not looking too good. Did you take anything tonight?"

Riley blinked and he was beside his younger self again. He held his head and moaned as he listened to the younger version of himself talking through sobs.

_"The wave came u-up and h-he fell. I tried to scream at h-him to w-watch out."_

_ "It's okay, Riley. It wasn't your fault."_

Riley groaned as his head pounded. Yes, of course, it was his fault. His father told him it was. He should have told his parents that Ryan was skipping school to go to the dam. Ryan made him promise not to. It was a dare and Ryan had to pass it or he couldn't be with the guys.

"It's my fault," he screamed.

"What's your fault, Riley?"

Riley blinked and he was back in the cruiser with the kind officer once more, his younger self gone again.

Feeling like a yo-yo, Riley mumbled, "Nothing."

The officer grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler sitting on his passenger seat. He reached the bottle through the window and handed it to Riley. "Take it, son."

Riley obeyed.

"Drink some," the officer ordered firmly, using that tone of voice that beckoned obedience.

Riley opened the bottle and chugged it, almost draining the bottle before lowering it.

"Easy, kid, you're gonna blow chunks if you guzzle it that fast."

Riley slid down in the seat, trying to make sense of his surroundings. The officer was quiet for a few minutes. but Riley could feel his eyes burrowing a hole in him.

"Okay, I think the charade is up. Agent Gibbs called in a favour tonight and he asked me to haul your ass in. He said you took his truck without his permission and that your license is bogus."

Riley felt his head clear some as anger rose up inside him once again. "That son of a bitch."

"Gimme the keys."

"Why?"

"I'm gonna lock it and take you home."

Riley glared at the man defiantly, but the man's face turned severe. Riley relented.

"Yah, I won't ask again."

The officer and he stared at one another for a moment before Riley sighed and fished the keys out of his pocket. It wasn't an easy task considering how much room the back of a police cruiser had. His long legs were cramped, pinned against the seat in front of him. He found the keys and held them out to the officer. The man took them and continued to stare at him.

"Are you on anything, kid?"

Riley closed his eyes to keep from saying something he would regret. He recognized that he was already in enough trouble as it was. He opted for silence. Somewhere in his head, he remembered his right to remain silent.

~~~NCIS~~~

Riley sat on the sofa staring at Gibbs silently. If he hadn't been so pissed at the man, he might have had the good sense to be remorseful. Gibbs stood in front of him with his arms crossed, looking more frustrated by the minute.

"Got anything to say in your defense?" Gibbs finally asked.

Riley elbows rested on his upper thighs as his laced his fingers in and out of one another and tapped his thumbs together. It was a repetitive movement that served to calm him down. He needed to calm down before he could talk.

"You sent that cop after me on purpose." he grounded out between gritted teeth. He couldn't believe Gibbs had done that. Called in a favour to some local cop he knew to pull him over on purpose to make a point. Riley's blood boiled at the thought.

"Did you take anything tonight?"

This time Riley jumped to his feet, shoving Gibbs backward to get the space he needed to feel in control. "Why the hell does everyone keep asking me that? I'm not a druggie so knock it off."

"Okay, calm down. I had to ask. Officer Kennedy said you were acting weird."

"Okay," said Riley, clenching and unclenching his fists. He could feel Gibbs staring at him intently and it was making him nervous and scared. He knew he was in trouble with the man, but he didn't know what that meant.

Gibbs heaved a sigh before saying, "Are you okay?"

Riley made eye contact and found he was relaxing a little at the words. He hadn't expected that response from Gibbs. He could feel the tension in the room so he knew Gibbs was pissed but still, the man chose to care first. It was foreign to him.

"Yah," he said ,puffing out his cheeks. He didn't know how to deal with his whirling emotions and Gibbs showing concern through his anger was really messing with his head. The anger he could deal with but not this. "I can't do this," he mumbled before walking towards the kitchen.

Gibbs grabbed his forearm. "Do what?"

Riley jerked away. "I can't play this little game of yours anymore."

"What game? What are you talking about?"

"You know damned well what I'm talking about. You're pissed. Why don't you just hit me and get it over with? I'm sick of walking on eggshells around you waiting for the friggin axe to fall. I know you wanted to smack me after the whole episode with Mak yet you didn't. Why? I can't take you messing with my head like this." Riley was shouting now, his face red. He could feel the veins in his neck tensing and pulsing and it only served to make more aware of his racing pulse. "It's worse than my dad just punching my face in."

Gibbs held up his hands. "You think I want to hit you?"

"Don't you? I've seen you smack your team a hundred times, Agent Gibbs. I'm not stupid." Riley knew he was exaggerating. He'd only seen Gibbs cuff Tony in the back of the head a few random times and never anyone else. And he wasn't convinced it wasn't just a game the men played, albeit it really odd game. He'd heard him discipline the girls a time of two but he never saw it. He knew Gibbs had spanked Makayla too. It wasn't like the man was violent or anything, but Riley knew Gibbs wasn't afraid to smack someone if he felt they deserved it. And even Riley knew he deserved it after tonight.

"Riley, that's different."

"Is it?" he yelled. He couldn't see any difference in his mind.

Gibbs reached out to place a hand on his shoulder but Riley flinched and took a step back. The older man dropped his hands to his side once again looking perplexed. "I'm not going to hit you, Riley."

Riley grimaced. "Like hell, you're not. What about that damned woodshed of yours, huh?" Riley saw a look of remembrance wash over Gibbs and the man groaned. "Yah, that's the one. You threatened to take me out there once before. What's stopping you now?"

Gibbs scrubbed a hand across his face. "I admit it's crossed my mind…"

Riley scoffed. "Yah, I just bet it has."

"Riley…"

"No, I don't want to hear it. Just leave me the hell alone!" Riley shook his head and strode into the kitchen. The room Gibbs had built for him was off the kitchen. He entered his room and went to slam the door, but Gibbs caught it with his foot. Riley felt his anger increase as he stomped to the closet and pulled out a duffel bag.

"So, this little arrangement we have isn't working. I've been on my own too long and I don't need a guardian." He pulled clothes off hangers that he had so neatly organized earlier that week, and shoved them into the bag.

"Riley…"Gibbs' voice was soft; the earlier anger was gone.

Riley opened the dresser drawer and grabbed a handful of socks as tears burned the back of his eyes. Gibbs had taken him shopping and bought him the socks and boxers despite his protests that he didn't need them. Of course, it was a lie. He had needed them. His own bag of clothing from his Marine recruit days was worn threadbare even before he'd left home. Not to mention, much of it he had outgrown as he had built muscle. Tears escaped his eyes and he scrubbed them away as he reached for the book on his shelf that he'd begin reading entitled _To Kill a Mockingbird_. Tim had given to him as a gift. He'd never read it before and it had captured his attention from the first page.

Gibbs took a step forward and caught his hand. "Stop and listen to me."

Riley yanked his hand away. "Don't touch me!"

Gibbs held his hands up again. "Okay. I won't touch you."

Riley's heart pounded so hard against his ribs, he thought it would escape his chest cavity leaving a gaping hole behind. His breathing increased and he found himself finding it hard to catch his breath.

"Breath in through your mouth and out through your nose," he heard Gibbs say as he felt his vision narrow. It was like he was in a tunnel and Gibbs was at the other end. This time he felt Gibbs' hand on the back of his neck, coaching him on how to breathe. What the hell? He knew how to breathe. Breathing was involuntarily for crying out loud. He tried to shake off the man's hand but found he was losing his balance. His heart beat so fast it hurt, which only served to make him panic more. What was happening to him? He was too young to be having a heart attack, wasn't he? He tried to focus on Gibbs' soft voice in the background. He'd be okay. Gibbs wouldn't let him die.

"You're okay, Riley. Calm down. Breathe in through your mouth and out through your nose. That's right. Now sit on your bed." He felt himself being pushed back until his backside met the soft firmness of his mattress. He shivered as sweat dripped down the back of his neck.

Gibbs kept a firm hand on his shoulders, massaging them and talking softly, coaching him how to breathe until he felt himself begin to relax once more and his vision cleared. Riley didn't know how many minutes went by before he could raise his chin to look Gibbs in the eye.

"Better?"

He nodded.

Gibbs seemed to relax a little and puffed out his cheeks. "Oh, kid, we really need to talk."


	12. Chapter 12

_**Hey lovely readers,**_

_**First, I apologize that this chapter is so short but everything else I have written after it just didn't fit...It was screaming to stand alone so I'm posting it as it's own chapter. Hope you still love me :)**_

_**Thank you so much for all the fantastic reviews! I feel so blessed to have such wonderful readers. **_

_**I am so honoured that you have come to love Riley as much as I do; he breaks my heart.**_

_**Special thanks to ancilla89, smush68, Hippiechic81, HannaBananas13, Guest, DS2010, Guest, Mindless Creations, KrisShannon, AureaD and ChrisChime...hey, I just noticed that I received 11 reviews for chapter 11 :-)**_

_**Still enjoying the cottage but have been so busy...no rest for moms! I've had no access to email so if any of you have emailed my private email...sorry about that...my wifi is spotty at best... I'm crossing my fingers this will post on fanfiction.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

Gibbs handed Riley a glass of water and was grateful when the kid accepted it. Pulling a chair up, Gibbs straddled it and rested his arms across the back of it. Riley sipped at the water but refused to look at him. Gibbs drew in a long breath. When had things spiralled so out of control? He'd thought Riley was adjusting well, and he'd thought he'd been making the right decisions concerning Riley but now he wasn't so sure. Riley wasn't coping well at all and Gibbs found himself wondering just how often the kid had panic attacks. The boy needed help and maybe more than Gibbs could give him.

"How often does that happen?"

"What?"

"The panic attacks...how often?"

"I didn't…"

"Did it happen in the Cork tree?" Gibbs kept his voice low and even, not wanting to set Riley off again but not wanting to beat around the bush any longer.

"What? No…"

"Riley, cut the crap and be real with me!"

Riley dropped his chin under Gibbs' scrutiny and Gibbs fell silent. He found himself recounting all his interactions with Riley and what he knew of how the kid reacted. How often did Riley panic or maybe even blank out? PTSD was a complex disorder and the kid may not be aware of his triggers or even how often it affected his day to day life. Hyperventilating was a very small piece of the puzzle. The kid could have had out of body experiences or hallucinations, not even being able to distinguish between what was reality and what was in his head.

"Stop overthinking this, Agent Gibbs," Riley suddenly said looking at Gibbs. Gibbs was taken aback at first by the dare on Riley's face; like the kid was goading him but it quickly followed by a look of unbridled fear. "Don't try to analyze me and buy into all that psycho mumbo jumbo shit. Just hit me and get it over with already. We both know you want to. Hell, I deserve it. I took your truck..."

"Forget the truck for a minute," Gibbs said, not missing a beat. "I need you to understand something, Riley…"

Riley stood to his feet and turned his back to Gibbs, running both his hands through his hair. "I know what you're gonna say, alright? So, save your breath."

"No, Riley, I don't think you do."

Riley huffed, shaking his head but remained silent.

Gibbs rose to his feet. "Riley, look, I'm not your father," he began simply.

The words seemed to be the wrong ones as Riley spun on his heel and glared at him. "You think I don't know that? What kind of idiot do you take me for?" Riley snorted. "If you were my father, I'd already be on the floor dodging the blows from his belt."

Gibbs raised a hand to placate him, deciding it best to cut to the chase. "Riley, I'm not gonna hit you."

Riley blinked incredulously. "I don't believe you."

"I know you don't, but I'm going to keep reminding you until you do." Gibbs took a few tentative steps towards Riley and rested his hands on the trembling teen's shoulders. Gibbs couldn't help but cringe inside knowing the reactions were fear-driven. Riley was 185 pounds of pure muscle yet was quaking in Gibbs' presence. There was nothing normal about that and it made Gibbs sick to his stomach.

Riley dropped his chin. "I shouldn't have taken your truck," he mumbled.

"You're right. You shouldn't have, and if you and I are going to get along, you're gonna need to learn to take no for an answer." Gibbs said sternly. He looked at the top of Riley's head fighting the urge to ruffle the boy's dark brown hair. As much as Gibbs wanted to comfort him, they needed this moment of angst; it seemed to be the only way Gibbs could break through the tough wall Riley had built to keep everyone out.

Riley fidgeted uncomfortably but didn't look up.

Gibbs cupped the teen's face, lifting his chin but at the same time taking a step back to give Riley his space. Once Riley was looking at him, he dropped his hand once more. "Taking no for an answer is a real-life skill. One day you will have an employer that will tell you no and you will need to accept that answer. Should you decide to re-enlist…"

"I'm won't," snapped Riley quickly, anger flashing in his eyes again. Gibbs could see that the topic was still too painful to discuss and he could accept that. "Why the hell would I want to go back to that shithole?"

"Fair enough. My point is you can't do whatever you want when you want. No one can."

"Bullshit!" Riley narrowed his eyes, glaring daggers at him. "Adults can do whatever the hell they want," he countered. "I should know because I used to be one before you decided I was still a kid."

"I didn't decide that, the law did. And if adults can do whatever they want then why am I standing here arguing with an obstinate teenager when I could be in my basement drinking bourbon and working on my boat?"

"Don't let me stop you," Riley shouted. "I'm leaving anyway." The teenager turned back to his duffel bag, grabbing random things from around the room and tossing them inside.

Gibbs' hands found his hips in frustration but it took a minute to organize his thoughts before speaking. Everything he said seemed to escalate matters. He needed to stay calm and diffuse the situation. "Riley, you and I both know that's not gonna happen."

"Yes, it is! Leave me alone! You can't tell me what to do."

Gibbs was silent. He moved to stand in the doorway between Riley's room and the kitchen, deciding to take a less aggressive approach. He watched as Riley continued to pack his bag and zip it up. Finally, Riley grabbed his jacket off the hook on the wall, clutched his duffel bag and stood to face Gibbs. "Get outta my way."

"No," said Gibbs, his voice firm and steady.

"I don't want to hurt you, Agent Gibbs."

"I'm glad to hear that. I don't want you to hurt me either."

"Then move."

"No," Gibbs repeated firmly.

Riley dropped his bag, raging anger building up inside him. Gibbs stood still looking at him, arms resting at his side. Gibbs knew Riley was strong and could probably take him down, but Gibbs had something Riley didn't, wisdom and patience. Gibbs knew Riley was a decent person. The anger and confusion he saw in the boy were because of past circumstances. Riley was frightened and damaged but under that, beat the heart of a good kid.

Riley drew in a long weary breath. "What the hell do you want from me?"

"I want you to trust me."

He scoffed. "Why the hell should I?"

"Because you have to trust someone."

Riley shook his head, tears swimming in his dark eyes. "You're wrong; I don't have to trust anyone." Riley picked up his bag again and took a threatening step closer to Gibbs. "I don't need anyone."

Gibbs firmed up his stance, making it clear to Riley that if he was going to leave, he'd have to go through Gibbs to do it. Gibbs kept his arms at his sides, his hands relaxed, and he concentrated on appearing non-threatening. He wouldn't make a move unless Riley forced his hand. He hoped that wouldn't be the case. "Have a seat, Riley so we can talk."

Riley took another step closer, determination etched on his face but tears still threatening to fall. Gibbs could see the conflict in his eyes. At that moment, it dawned on Gibbs that Riley was testing him to see how far he could push to get the result he was expecting. Riley fully anticipated Gibbs to react like his father and his DI. Riley had been beaten and abused almost his entire life and violence was what Riley expected. Anything else was foreign and confused him.

Riley stepped forward, this time fiercely tossing his bag to the ground and staring daggers at Gibbs. Gibbs could feel Riley's breath on his face, but Gibbs continued to make eye contact, consciously keeping his hands relaxed at his side. Riley needed to know he was safe despite his loss of control.

"What are you gonna do if I leave?" Riley challenged.

"You're not leaving."

"You can't stop me."

Gibbs stared at him but didn't say anything.

"Go ahead, hit me! You know you want to," Riley shouted at him, saliva hitting Gibbs in the face.

"I'm not going to hit you, Riley, but I will restrain you if need be."

Riley's nostrils flared as he stared Gibbs down. Suddenly, he shoved the older man backward, not hard but hard enough, but Gibbs managed to keep his footing. Riley clenched his fists as anger distorted his features. Gibbs was deadpan and refused to back down. Without warning, Riley threw a punch at Gibbs' face. Gibbs blocked it, spinning the teen around and pinning his arm behind his back. Gibbs knew it'd been a half-hearted attempt to goad him to respond. If Riley had wanted to hurt him, the young, marine-trained teenager could have put him to the ground without breaking a sweat. Gibbs was strong but he wasn't twenty anymore. Riley fought the restraint but Gibbs used his other hand to wrap around Riley's thin waist and pulled him in close to his hip. Gibbs could feel the teen's muscles strain and tensing under his grip. Leaning in, he whispered, "I am not going to hit you, no matter how much you provoke me."

Riley struggled but Gibbs could tell it was a weak attempt. A muffled sob came from Riley just then and Gibbs released his hold on the boy's wrist. "It's okay, Riley. You're safe," Gibbs said stepping back. Gibbs didn't want to frighten Riley and trigger another panic attack.

"No, it's not!" Riley said, choking back a sob. "Nothing is ever going to be okay."

"Why do you say that?" Gibbs said softly.

Riley turned to face Gibbs, tears blurring his vision. "I'm a screw-up, Agent Gibbs. I couldn't save Ryan, and I couldn't save Mackie. She could have died and it's my fault!"

"But she didn't."

"But she could have!"

"Okay, let's talk about that for a minute. What happened?" Gibbs knew that night was weighing heavily on Riley. It had plagued Gibbs as well until he went over scene with a fine-tooth comb. He'd wanted to know exactly what happened that night, but after reviewing the reports, Gibbs was satisfied that Riley had done his best. Gibbs wasn't even so sure now if Riley panicked. Everything seemed uncertain but whatever happened, Riley still talked Makayla down and held her weight so she wouldn't fall. Gibbs was proud of him for that.

"I didn't keep my centre of gravity low."

"Why didn't you?" Gibbs demanded.

"I dunno."

"Yes, you do," said Gibbs, his best gunny voice slipping out.

Riley shivered, tears running down his cheeks. "I couldn't step back," he mumbled almost incoherently.

"Why?"

"T-the tree…" Riley choked back a sob.

"You couldn't step back because the park had peeled away from the tree." Gibbs finished his sentence in a softer voice. Riley looked at him, his face pale and eyes haunted. "And Makayla was panicking. If you had tried to keep your centre of gravity, she might have slipped and you wouldn't have been able to catch her. Instead, you did the only thing you could do under the circumstances. You made sure you were secured and the rigging did its job when you fell. There was nothing else you could have done."

Riley shook his head. "No…"

This time Gibbs stepped in and cupped Riley's chin. "Yes."

Tears of frustration and guilt ran down Riley's cheeks but he didn't pull away. Gibbs looked into the teen's eyes and he could see the hunger to hear words of affirmation. "You did your best, Riley. I'm proud of you for that. No one else could have done better. It was dark and Makayla was under a lot of stress. So were you for that matter. You were the only one who could talk her down and you did. She's alive because of you." And just like that Gibbs pulled Riley into a tight embrace, holding the back of his head tightly to prevent him from escaping the hug. At first, Riley struggled and mumbled words that Gibbs couldn't comprehend but he held on tight, hushing him. "Listen to me," Gibbs whispered so softly that had someone else been in the room, they wouldn't have heard a word. "I don't know what happened to your brother but I do know this; whatever happened wasn't your fault no matter what your father said. Accidents happen. No one knows why but they do. I'm so sorry you lost Ryan and your family. You deserve so much better, Riley. Please, just give me a chance to show you. Let me in, son. Let me in."

At the last of Gibbs' words, Riley's dam burst and he collapsed against Gibbs sobbing. Gibbs held him and stroked his hair soothingly. His heart shattered as he listened to the teenager's guttural sobs, letting go of all the pain and poison he'd collected and absorbed and all of the blame, all the weight… and Gibbs held him, tears running down his own cheeks, understanding the ache more than words could describe and more than Riley would ever know.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Hello Readers!**_

_**Sorry, this update has been so long coming. I tried to make it nice and long to make up for my absence. **_

_**Life has been busy...we were at the cottage for a month and I had no time to write and a very poor internet connection.**_

_**Now, life is getting busy as school begins...one kid starts tomorrow and another starts Wednesday and I'm homeschooling some...and I'm teaching part-time at one of the schools, plus we have an International Student from Thailand staying with us for the school year.**_

_**I haven't forgotten the story...hopefully, once we have settled into a normal routine, I will be able to update a little more frequently.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

Riley was exhausted but he also felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. Why he'd chosen this moment to break down and let down his guard was beyond his comprehension, but right now, he didn't care. He inhaled deeply like he was breathing in fresh, clean air for the first time and he held it until he thought his lungs would burst before forcing the air out. Then he started to talk. Really talk. He found the words spilling off his lips in torrents before he could even stop them. He talked about his brother, Ryan and how much he loved and looked up to him, like true hero worship type stuff. He shared about how perfect his family was before Ryan fell and drowned. More tears were shed as he told Gibbs about the accident and how his entire life was flipped upside down. He shared about his dad blaming him for the accident and about when his mother left him behind. Riley couldn't stop the sobs as he spilled out secrets he'd long kept hidden. He told about the endless beatings at the hands of his father and about teachers who refused to believe him. He could barely catch his breath as he shared with Gibbs about things he never dared to tell a single soul, word vomiting all over the man until his mouth felt like cotton.

Gibbs remained silent as Riley unloaded a lifetime of pain. So silent, in fact, that it was easy for Riley to forget the man was even there and for the most part, Gibbs' expression remained impassive. Riley was thankful for that. He didn't want pity, and he didn't want Gibbs to try to fix things. It was too late for that. Riley's heart rate did pick up when he noticed the tears swimming in Gibbs' eyes. The rational part of his mind was telling himself to shut up but he couldn't stop talking. It was like he was compelled from something deep within him to share everything about his sick, twisted, and screwed up childhood. But then somewhere along the line, Riley inadvertently switched topics and, having lowered his inhibitions enough, ended up blurting out what happened with Makayla in the Cork tree and how pissed off he'd been with Gibbs. Suddenly, Riley froze realizing that he'd crossed a line and said too much.

"Dammit," he muttered under his breath. He sheepishly dropped his chin. "I'm sorry." Then the sudden quiet made his ears ring.

_Say something…say something…say something,_ Riley begged. Gibbs' silence was deafening to him.

Gibbs swallowed, drawing in a deep breath before speaking. "Are you okay?"

Riley's eyes flew up to meet Gibbs' in stunned amazement. Out of all the possible things Gibbs could have said, Riley hadn't expected the man to ask him if he was okay. He felt a rush of heat in his cheeks, embarrassed by the fact he'd broken down like some kind of baby in front of Gibbs and then verbally insulted the man. He felt like a jerk.

"Yah," he managed to croak out and went to sit on his bed. _ I'm such an idiot, _he chided himself. Gibbs pulled up a chair and sat down once again. Riley felt his heart rate increase as he thought about everything he'd blurted out, every secret out on display. He felt raw, naked and vulnerable. _Oh my god, what didn't I keep my mouth shut?_

Gibbs cleared his throat, "I'm sorry that happened to you, Riley. I wish I had words to help take away some of that pain…"

Riley groaned. "Please, let's not talk about it, okay?"

Gibbs nodded. "Okay, but I'm here if you ever do want to talk about it, okay?"

Riley nodded. "Thanks." More than anything, Riley wanted to forget that he'd crumbled to pieces in front of Gibbs. It was enough to know the man knew the truth. Neither one of them needed to mention it again.

Gibbs cleared his throat. "I do want to discuss what happened with Makayla, though."

Riley groaned in response.

"Hey, hear me out before shutting me down."

"Fine," grumbled Riley, leaning against the headboard of his bed.

"I admit I was angry with you, and I said somethings that I probably shouldn't have but you were second-guessing every decision I made and trying to interfere when I really just needed you to listen to me."

Riley felt his heart jump to his throat. _Here it comes. Why did I even bring the topic up?_

"I'm an old school kind of guy…"

"I never noticed," Riley said sarcastically. Gibbs saying he was an old school kind of guy was an understatement if Riley had ever heard one. Gibbs was straight out of the 1850s.

Gibbs chuckled. "You're a wise-ass, you know that?"

Riley relaxed a little at Gibbs' gentle jesting. Somehow he could never quite anticipate what Gibbs was going to say, but he was grateful for the humour now. Riley kept feeling like he was sticking his foot in his mouth around Gibbs.

Gibbs looked him in the eye. "You should know a few things about me in case you haven't figured it out yet. I go with my gut when it comes to most things, and that includes discipline. Right or wrong, it's served me well all these years, and I don't see myself changing any time soon."

"I know," mumbled Riley, the smile fading at the uncomfortable topic. "I…uh…it's okay."

Gibbs heaved a sigh. "No, it's not okay. Trusting my gut with you isn't working, so either I need to stop second-guessing myself and follow-through, or I need to stop threatening."

Riley swallowed hard. He felt his heart rate pick up once again and sweat formed on his brow. "I'm sorry, sir. I will try not to overstep my boundaries."

"Riley, listen, there is a big difference between discipline and hitting, but I'm not sure you can decipher the difference given your background with your father. When I said I'm not going to hit you, I mean that."

Riley's throat ached as he swallowed back a fresh onslaught of tears. "I know the difference! I'm not stupid!"

Gibbs lifted a brow. "I never said you were." Gibbs looked at him sternly and then poked a finger at him. "That right there concerns me too…"

"What? Me disagreeing with you?"

"No. You can disagree with me anytime you want as long as you're respectful about it. It's the defensiveness that concerns me. You're so used to defending yourself that you automatically get your back up and take offence. THAT'S what we need to work on changing." Gibbs sighed, his grey-blue eyes filling with compassion. "Riley, we're gonna get through this. I know you feel like you have to figure things out on your own but you don't. I'm here to help you, but the question is, are you going to let me?"

Gibbs' blue-grey eyes were sincere and held a look that Riley just barely recognized as familiar. It was a look he vaguely remembered his father giving him once after he'd fallen from his bicycle when he was just a little kid. His dad had lifted him into his arms, brushed his tears away and hugged him telling him he was safe and he would be okay. It was that same look that swam in Gibbs' eyes now. A look that told Riley that the man was willing to go the distance for him, no matter what and that he was safe in his hands.

Riley swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "So, what happens next?" The man said he wasn't going to hit him and so far hadn't. He'd given it his best shot to provoke Gibbs into doing it but he hadn't. Riley didn't know what to anticipate next.

Gibbs heaved a sigh, expelling a long breath before finally speaking. "Well, how about we start with you returning my keys." Gibbs smirked at him as he held out his hand.

Riley returned a sheepish smirk as he fished the keys out and handed them to Gibbs. "Sorry…"

Gibbs gently mussed up his hair and chuckled. "C' mon, let's go get your license stuff squared away."

~~~NCIS~~~

The next day, Riley pulled up to Makayla's school and shut off the engine. He glanced at his watch to see it was 2:10 pm. He knew students soon would be heading home or back to their dorms and after a few minutes, he heard a bell ring in distance, confirming his assumption. Leaning back and watching students flood out of the doors, he kept a sharp eye out for Makayla. Of course, in the sea of navy blue and tan uniforms, he soon discovered it wasn't going to be an easy task. School uniforms were a foreign thing to Riley and he shuddered at how much uniformity seemed to be so important to wealthy people and the military, for that matter. It was like no one could be an individual. He looked down at his own tan pants and had to chuckle. Even when Gibbs had taken him shopping for new clothes, he couldn't break out of his cage of uniform coloured khakis.

As Riley watched the steady flow of students exit from the school, his mind went back to Gibbs and their conversation earlier that morning. Since he'd been forced to rectify his age on his licence with the DMV, things hadn't turned out as bad as he'd speculated. Of course, Riley wasn't stupid; he knew that Gibbs had had a hand in it and he had to admit that Gibbs was a clever man. He seemed to know that Riley wasn't going to fix things on his own without some kind of extra incentive. Getting pulled over by Officer Kennedy and being forced into action had probably been a good idea. Riley smiled in spite of himself. He'd been able to keep his licence but on a probationary term, meaning that if he stepped out of line once for speeding or otherwise, his licence would be bumped back down to a learners permit. Riley was fine with the stipulations because he wasn't exactly a daredevil to begin with, and if it meant that he could drive Gibbs' truck, he didn't plan to mess things up. He liked the freedom.

When Riley had entered the kitchen for breakfast earlier that morning, Gibbs had handed him the keys to his truck.

"All I ask is that you tell me where you're going and when you'll be back. If your plans change or I'm not around to ask, call or text me to let me know."

Riley had been taken aback by the offer. "What about gas?" He didn't have a job yet so money wasn't something he had a lot of.

Gibbs pulled his credit card out of his wallet and handed it to Riley. "For gas only, okay? We'll find a mutually agreed spot to store it for when the truck needs fuel."

Riley nodded. "I'll find a job and pay you back…" He wouldn't dare to use it for anything else. He had too much integrity for that.

Gibbs waved a dismissive hand. "Find one or don't. Like I said before, I want you to take it easy for a while. There are lots of things to do around here that I can pay you for.  
Riley tossed the keys into the air and caught them with a big grin on his face. "Thanks."

As soon as Riley had eaten, he knew what he wanted to do. He hadn't spoken to Makayla in over a week. No contact at all. He'd tried to call and text but had received no response and frankly, he was worried. Showing up at her school was the only way he knew to talk to her. He didn't even know where she lived and Gibbs had refused to tell him, saying the Makayla and her family needed their privacy and space. Riley had tried to accept that as a reasonable answer but not seeing Makayla and not knowing if she was okay was eating away at him. He found that he had so much he wanted to share with her. She was his only friend in D.C. and she was the only one who seemed to understand him.

A few shouts made Riley look up to see a bunch of guys around his age tossing a football around. The laughter and comradery pricked at Riley's resolve. He'd never let his guard down enough to make friends like that when he'd been in high school. He'd always wanted to play sports but it just never worked out and a part of him secretly wished he could go back and do his junior and senior year again, to just be a kid again and goof off like teenagers were supposed to but it was too late. He'd graduated and moved on past that childishness. The problem was because of the age mix up, he was stuck in some kind of limbo…too young to move on and too old to exist among his peers. Riley sighed. Life sucked sometimes.

Just then, Riley spotted Makayla walking out of the school doors. She was walking alone carrying what looked like a portfolio of some kind, as well as a cylinder tube with a long handle enabling her to swing it over her shoulder. Riley snatched the keys from the ignition, jumped out the truck and walked up to her. Makayla looked up and Riley thought he saw several different emotions flood her face, none of them staying long enough for him to discern if she was happy to see him or not.

"Riley! What are you doing here?"

Riley reached out to take her portfolio and fell into step with her as she walked. "I wanted to see you."

"How'd you get here?" she asked, her voice sounded shocked. "I mean how did you know where my school is?"

"Gibbs' truck and it's not rocket science to find Xavier."

Makayla stopped walking. "You're not gonna get in trouble for taking his truck, are you?" She looked concerned for him and it melted Riley's heart a little.

"No, no, don't worry. Gibbs is chill."

"Are you sure? I mean because the last time he didn't look so chill." Her green eyes shimmered in the sunshine. Riley hadn't noticed how emerald green her eyes were before and they sparkled in the sunlight.

"Mak, hey, it's fine; I promise. How are you? Why haven't you texted me back?"

She started walking again. "Uh, yah, sorry about that. My mom took my phone. I'm kinda…well, I'm grounded for the rest of the semester."

Riley walked alongside Makayla listening to what she wasn't saying. "Because of the tree fiasco?"

"No…well, yah but also because of cheating and well, just everything I guess."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Uh, so how are things at home?"

"They suck. My mom hates me. My dad takes her side on just about everything but pretends he doesn't. My perfect sister is their golden child so they dote on her and basically ignore me while they plan this perfect Christmas." Makayla's voice sounded detached, and it struck Riley as strange to hear the depressing words spoken yet to not hear the emotions behind them. "It's just a big joke."

"Gibbs and the girls miss you. Can't you come and hang out with us sometime?"

Makayla turned to look at him. "No. I'm grounded. I can go to school and I can go home to my room. That is my life until school breaks. No phone, no television, and no friends, not that I have any anyway and it's just as well because I'm not exactly charming company these days." Her voice was terse and biting making Riley jerk back like he'd had his head taken off.

Riley frowned. "Hey, I missed you too."

Her eyes filled with tears and she laughed. "You're a jerk, you know that?"

He put an arm around her shoulders with a chuckle and she leaned into him. "Yep, I know. Now, let's go someplace and talk."

"I can't, Riley. Seriously. If my mom found out…"

He pulled her in close. "She won't and if she does, she can take it out of my hide." Playful mischief sparkled in his eyes. "C' mon, I'm the big brother and you have to listen to me. It'll be my treat."

She rolled her eyes and sighed, "Okay, but I'm taking you up on the whole taking it out on your hide thing."

Riley laughed. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it. C'mon." Riley pulled her towards the truck and opened the passenger door for her. "Your chariot awaits, madam," he said with a gentlemanly bow and a cheesy grin.

"Hey, Makayla! Who's the hunk?" shouted a girl from behind them. Riley saw Makayla blush as she stepped into the truck.

Riley gave the girl his best charming smile. "I'm her boyfriend from Stanford."

The girl's mouth dropped open for a moment before she started whispering and giggling to the girl beside her. Riley smirked and got in the truck. He hadn't been out of high school so long that he didn't recognize a popular girl when he saw one. She fit the bill of a cheerleader, the typical A group loser who thought she was better than everyone else. He guessed that this girl did her best to make Makayla's life a living hell at school. Xavier was no different than any other high school. Rich kids, poor kids…all kids were the same underneath.

"Riley!" scolded Makayla, covering her mouth to hold back the giggles. "She's never gonna buy that."

He started the ignition, "Yah, you're probably right; Gibbs truck is too old to belong to a Stanford student. I should have said Yale or Berkley. Whatever. It'll give her something to gossip about for weeks."

Makayla rolled her eyes but Riley watched as she glanced out the window at the girl and her friends. The smile that played on Makayla's lips let Riley know his silly joke meant more to her than she let on. As much as Riley wished he could redo his last two years of high school, he knew that it wasn't all fun and games. Kids could be cruel.

"Okay, where to?"

Makayla shrugged. "Surprise me."

An hour later, the two friends sat companionably down by the wharf watching ships being unloaded while stuffing their faces with burgers and fries. They laughed and tossed gravy covered French fries at each other.

Riley reached out and wiped gravy off Makayla's chin, his dark eyes becoming serious. "Is it weird that I was worried you were mad at me?"

Makayla frowned. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"Because I let you fall."

Makayla tossed a fry at his face. "You didn't let me fall, goofball!" she chided. Riley scowled playfully and wiped the gravy from his cheek. She giggled but then sobered. "I'm serious. It wasn't your fault. I can't be held responsible for the stupid stuff I do when my parents are around. I mean I climbed a tree for Pete's sake. ME! I hate heights!"

Riley relaxed a little and chuckled. "I have to admit, I was surprised. I can't even get you to climb Gibbs' tree in the back yard."

From somewhere in her backpack, a phone rang out. Riley furrowed his brow but watched as Makayla fished a flip phone out of her bag. She held it up for him to see. "This is my parents' solution to keeping in touch. They took my smartphone and gave me this." She rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Are you going to answer?"

"Nope." Suddenly the girl stood to her feet and walked to the edge of the wharf. She looked back at Riley as she held the phone over the water. "Should I?"

"NO! Mak, don't," he blurted but before the words even crossed his lips, it was too late. Makayla let go and the phone fell into the water. Riley was on his feet and at her side, staring at her in disbelief. "Geez, Makayla, you're not doing yourself any favours here. Your parents are going to kill you," he muttered, looking at her in bewilderment.

"I guess I just don't care anymore. Does that make me a bad person?"

Riley stared into the water wishing he could have stopped Makayla from dropping the phone. He was worried about what her parents would do when they found out. "No, it doesn't make you a bad person. It might make you a dead person, though. Hell, if I had done that, my ole man would have kicked my ass into the middle of next week."

Makayla reached out and placed a warm hand on his cheek. "I'm sorry, Riley…"

Riley felt his heart skip a beat. He didn't want her pity. He grasped her hand and pulled it from his face, dropping it to her side. He sighed and stared out into the distance.

Makayla frowned. "Do you like me, Riley?"

Riley felt his cheeks grow warm. He did like Makayla, probably more than he should. She was just a kid and he…well, on paper he might have been only two years older but in his heart, he felt like he'd lived a lifetime, but he liked who he was when he was with her. He felt like he wanted to protect her. "Of course I do," he managed to say before taking a step back.

Makayla turned to look at the water. "I don't like me at all. I mean what's to like?"

Riley began to make a mental list of all the reasons why he liked her, but he remained quiet. It didn't feel like the right time to speak.

"This past year I have managed to alienate myself from everyone, including my friends at school. I have nothing in common with them. It becomes more and more obvious as the years progress." Makayla turned to face him. "My parents used to travel a lot when I was little too and the year I was supposed to start school with my peers, we were in Istanbul."

"Turkey?"

"Yah. My sister was already in boarding school and they were in the middle of a big legal case. No big deal, right? Except, believe it or not, that put me an entire year behind my peers. I'm 14 in grade 8. You may not think that sounds like a big deal but at Xavier, that puts me an entire year behind in life." A dry laugh emitted from her as she ran a hand through her auburn hair. "The 14-year-olds at Xavier have already picked their university majors and some have already taken courses towards their degree."

"That sounds a little nuts, if you ask me."

"Yeah." Makayla hugged herself as she shivered in the cold November wind.

"Are you cold? We can go back to the truck…"

She shook her head and sat down, her feet dangling over the pier. Riley sat down beside her. They stared out at the water, each lost in their own thoughts.

"I can't wait until I'm 18. I plan to disappear to someplace where no one will ever find me."

"Disappearing is easier said than done," said Riley, thinking about how his own brilliant plan to disappear had failed so epically. "As soon as I graduated senior year, I enlisted hoping to disappear. Things didn't work out quite the way I planned."

Makayla looked at him. "Do you feel like our lives are somehow orchestrated?"

"What do you mean?"

"You helped save Aimee's life, Riley. Do you ever think about what could have happened if you didn't find her when you did?"

Riley shrugged. "Gibbs would have found her."

"Maybe, maybe not. The fact remains, you were there. So maybe things didn't turn out the way you thought but you have to admit, things aren't that bad for you right now."

Riley frowned and stared at her. "Why is it that you can see the good in my life but not in your own?"

Makayla scowled and stood to her feet. "I think you should bring me home now."

Riley lifted a brow, standing to his feet. "Mak, what's the matter?"

She shook her head, tears swimming in her eyes. "Nothing. Please take me home." She turned and took off running towards Gibbs' truck.

Riley stared after her wondering what he'd said to make her so upset.

~~~NCIS~~~

Makayla lay on her bed with her pillow over her head, sniffling and trying to calm down. She was exhausted from crying and from being misunderstood by everyone. She'd returned home angry after her conversation with Riley only to run into her equally angry mother. Things hadn't ended well. Meanwhile, her father was whistling jingle bells and hauling Christmas decorations out of the attic like everything was normal. Makayla couldn't take it anymore. She lost her temper. Makayla had shouted and yelled at her mother before running up to her room and slamming the door; then she proceeded to tear her room apart in a fit of anger. When had life gotten so complicated? She heard a knock at her door but she ignored it hoping whoever it was would go away.

"Makayla, I'm coming in." Her father's voice sounded firm but Makayla ignored it. She heard her bedroom door open and she chided herself for not locking it.

"Kayley, when are you going to stop this?"

Makayla rolled over to see her father standing in the doorway. She saw him eyeing the aftermath of her temper tantrum and she felt the heat in her cheeks. The question was fair enough. When was she going to stop torturing herself? Tearing her room apart only made work for her and no one else even cared.

Her father came in and sat on the edge of her bed. "Sit up." His voice brooked no argument.

Recognizing the tone, Makayla sat up and leaned against her bed frame, looking sombre.

"Believe it or not, your mother tried to be nice to you this afternoon."

Makayla narrowed her eyes. "No, she didn't! As soon as I stepped in the door, she went after me. It's only three weeks until the end of the semester, dad, and she made me drop a course. Do you even understand what that means?"

"I know…"

"Well, then why can't you stop her? You're my parent too. She's ruining my life!"

Michael Wallace scrubbed a hand over his face. "To be honest, honey, I don't disagree with your mother."

Makayla paled. "Wait. What?"

"Hear me out. Your aunt called us in Europe, Kayley, to say you ran away from her. She told me Agent Gibbs had his agents searching high and low for you when they were in the middle of a serious case involving a missing child. Later on, I discovered it was his child. Then I find out that you planned to run away to New York."

"But I didn't. Agent Gibbs found me, daddy." She blushed at the memory.

"Thank God. But you didn't let it go, even after he dealt with you. It's shameful Agent Gibbs felt he had to discipline you like a little child. Then it turns out, you were so fixated on running away that you cheated on an exam hoping Xavier would toss you out."

"I apologized for that."

Michael nodded. "I know and I'm proud of you for that, but it doesn't change that fact that you were so intent on rebelling that you didn't even stop and consider the consequences or other people's feelings. That behaviour concerns me."

Tears run down Makayla's face now. "I'm sorry, daddy."

Michael nodded. "I am too. Your mom sees things from a different perspective than you. I don't necessarily agree with her standpoint but her heart is in the right place. She loves you and your sister and wants what's best for you both."

"No, she doesn't," sobbed Makayla.

Michael reached for Makayla's hand, rubbing his thumb over the top soothingly. "Blowing up at her every time she tries to speak to you isn't going to end well. I think you know that. Neither is ignoring her phone calls."

"Why can't I finish the semester and get the credit at least? Dropping my class now means I will be one credit short."

"Kayley, the reason why I'm not interfering is because of the disrespect you are showing your mother and me."

Makayla snatched her hand away and stood to her feet indignantly. "Disrespect? Are you kidding me? She won't even listen to me!"

"Your mom called you several times today when you didn't come home right away after school. Why didn't you answer?"

"I was out with Riley."

"You were supposed to come home after school. You're grounded, remember?"

"How could I forget?" she snapped.

Her father held out his hand. "Hand over the phone."

"I tossed it into the pier."

"You what?" Her father looked incredulous. He rose to his feet and put his hands on his hips. "Makayla! This nonsense needs to stop before you find yourself in trouble with me. I've tried to remain patient with you, but you're crossing a line with me. Like it or not, you need to respect your mother."

Makayla bit her lip. It wasn't very often she heard her father use that tone of voice.

~~~NCIS~~~

Gibbs ran his hand along the grain of the wood, blowing off the wood dust. He smiled when he felt the smoothness of the wood under his weathered hand. There was a great deal of satisfaction in taking a rough, unfinished piece of wood, sanding it, and creating something beautiful out of it.

"Is it done, daddy?"

Gibbs was startled when Janessa launched herself onto his back as he knelt on the floor. He looked over his shoulder and smirked at his five-year-old daughter lovingly. "Almost. You sure you didn't eat bricks for breakfast? You're heavy."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and giggled. "I don't eat bricks, silly! I ate scrambled up eggs and toast. Remember, daddy? You mades it for me." Gibbs looked over his shoulder at her and chuckled when he saw her scrunched up nose. He adjusted her with one hand trying to steady her so she wouldn't fall off him and smack her head on the sharp pieces of the desk he was installing. "I'm gonna colour on that desk, right?" she asked.

He smiled. "Yep, you and Aimee can share it for now until I have time to build another."

"Aimee said it's her desk and I can't use it." The little girl sounded put out.

Gibbs grabbed his hammer and worked at fitting the wood pieces together and attached them to the wall. He'd designed the desk to be built into the wall and was very pleased with how it was coming together. It was perfect for the room in that it didn't take any of the much-needed space away from the two growing girls.

"Well, technically it is her desk. She'll need it to do homework when school starts in January."

"But what about my homework?" asked Janessa, a pout forming on her face.

Gibbs rose to his feet being careful to grab onto Janessa with one hand. She giggled in spite of her pout as Gibbs set down his hammer and adjusted her into a piggyback position.

"The good news is Kindergarten kids don't get homework so they don't need a desk."

"But I wants homework."

Gibbs chuckled, thinking he would remember this day in the future when Janessa was moaning about having too much homework. He nodded towards the child-size table and chairs in the middle of the room. "You can do it at your table."

"But Daddy, I wants to use the desk too," she whined.

Gibbs walked over to her bed and dropped her onto it. He turned around and scooped her up into his arms, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Aimee will share it, Ness. Don't you worry."

Just then Aimee came running into the room looking very much in a hurry.

"What will I share?" she asked, opening her closet and rummaging through it.

"Daddy says you gots to share the desk, Aimee." The little girl jumped to the floor and put her hands on her hips. "It's my desk too!"

Gibbs returned to his work as he listened to his girls bicker over who would use the new desk he was building in their room.

"…but it really is my desk, right dad? I mean, I'm gonna need it for homework and stuff. Nessie won't have homework and she can always colour at the table, right?"

"You can share it, Aims, but you're right, homework will take precedence over colouring. It's only for a short time. I plan to build another desk soon…probably in the summer."

Gibbs bit back a smirk when he heard Aimee explain in a long-suffering voice that she was right and Janessa was a baby and didn't understand such things anyway.

Janessa stamped her foot. "I am not a baby."

"Whatever, Ness. Go play or something, I need to find something I want to show to Tony."

"Tony's here?"

"Yes; he just stopped by to tell Gibbs something. He doesn't need you bugging him."

"Tell me what?" asked Gibbs, grunting as he fitted another section of the desk into place.

"Dunno…" replied Aimee, tossing some stuff from her closet out onto the floor.

"Did you tell him I'm in your room?"

Aimee didn't answer but continued rummaging in her closet.

"I will tells him!" said Janessa who bolted from the room.

Aimee came out of her closet, hiding something behind her back. "Janessa!" she called out in exasperation. "I need to talk to Tony first!" Her voice sounded cross. She stuffed whatever she was hiding into her pocket and went to rush out of the room.

"Hey," called Gibbs, calling her back. She stopped and looked at him. "What are you hiding?"

"I'm not…"

Gibbs arched a brow making her stop mid-sentence. She knew how he felt about lying.

"It's nothing, I promise."

"If it's nothing then you won't mind showing me."

Aimee stuck her hand in her pocket and fidgeted on her feet, but she didn't pull the object out. Gibbs frowned. He brushed his hands off and walked across the room until he was standing in front of Aimee. He held out his hand expectantly. If she was hesitating on letting him see it that probably meant it was something he wouldn't like. Funny how that worked.

Aimee licked her lips. "But I want to show Tony first."

"Please show it to me," said Gibbs, his tone brooking no argument.

"But, daddy…"

"Aimee."

She sighed and scowled at him in irritation. "Fine." Just as Aimee began to slowly reach into her pocket, Abby came into the room.

"Gibbs! Gibbs! Gibbs!" she said, excitement on her face. Gibbs looked up from Aimee and smiled at his Goth girl. It was nice to see joy glowing on her face again. Ever since Riley had returned home from the hospital and since the night Jenn had told him about her crying uncontrollably over something she refused to share, Abby had not been herself. She went to work and stayed at his house to be close to him but refused to share what was bothering her. Gibbs didn't plan to force her to talk to him and took courage in her more cheerful demeanour. Perhaps whatever was bothering her had passed. He definitely yearned for that to be true. He was already worried about Makayla, who he hadn't heard from since she returned home with her parents, and he worried about Riley.

"Hey, Abbs, what's up?" he asked, sighing when Aimee took the opportunity to slip out the door when he was distracted. "Aimee, get back here," he called after her. The little girl ignored him making the tiny hairs on the back of his neck stand up in irritation. Aimee had selective hearing lately when he spoke to her and it was becoming annoying.

Abby's eyes sparkled. "I'm a match," she said simply. She bounced up and down on her toes in front of him. She wore her black platform wedged shoes and nearly lost her balance, falling towards Gibbs. He caught her and helped her find her balance once more.

"Whoa there, Abbs. Slow down. A match for what?"

Abby swallowed, catching her breath and clapped her hands together. "I was chosen. They picked me and they want me at the hospital first thing this afternoon to learn more about it…isn't it great?"

"Whoa, whoa, hang on there, Abby. Back up? What's going on?"

Abby took a deep breath beginning to explain. "When Riley was in the hospital, I saw a flyer about kids needing bone marrow so I went and got tested…"

Gibbs frowned. He didn't know much about stem cell transplants but he'd heard that sometimes, donors suffered some pretty nasty side effects and rarely, complications. He definitely needed more information.

Abby continued, "They called me this morning and said I'm a match. Isn't that exciting?" She bounced up and down on her toes again and clapped her hands in excitement. Gibbs reached out to steady her again.

"Have you spoken with the director about this?" Gibbs asked, his mind reeling in circles.

Abby stopped bouncing. "Why would I need to tell Director Shepard?"

"Abby, donating bone marrow isn't just a walk-in and drop off kind of thing. It's not like giving blood. You will need to stay overnight and take a few days to recover."

Abby scowled at him. "Duh, Gibbs. I know that."

Gibbs shook his head with a chuckle. Abby surprised him sometimes by the things she said. No. Scratch that. She always surprised him by the things she said. "Don't you think you should run this by Jenn to make sure you can take that kind of time off?"

Abby waved a dismissive hand. "Pfff…I have vacation time, Gibbs and we haven't had a new case in weeks. There is only so much canning and baking I can do in my lab before I go insane. Missing a few days is no big deal."

Gibbs rubbed the back of his neck. "Abby, I don't know if it's a good idea for you right now."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you still haven't told me what's wrong. The other night, Jenn said you were beside yourself…sobbing and crying and wouldn't tell her what the matter was. Do you need to tell me anything?"

Abby's face fell and she pulled away from him with a pout settling in on her face. "I thought you'd be happy for me."

Gibbs stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I am, Abby. It's very noble of you to want to help out…"

Abby smiled with a blush creeping across her cheeks. "Then why are you being such a kill-joy?"

"I'm not…Abbs, listen, I'm worried about you and I don't want you to rush into anything and do something you might regret."

Gibbs felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and he pulled it out to browse at who was calling him. Makayla's name popped up on his screen. He held up a finger to forestall Abby while he took the call.

_It's Makayla_, he mouthed to Abby who nodded.

"Hey, Mak, how are you?" he said when he answered. He was greeted by silence and soft sniffling in the background. "Mak? You okay?" he prodded again. His cobalt blue eyes filled with concern as he worked hard to listen for any words from her.

"Agent Gibbs."

"Mackie, what's wrong?" He felt his heartbeat a little faster in his chest. He hated to hear her so upset. He'd hoped a few days at home with her parents would give them time to talk and make amends. Jenn had hinted that her sister was still being difficult but hadn't wished to discuss it with him. He respected that it wasn't really his business and hadn't pressed. Mike and Julia Wallace were Makayla's parents and like it or not, he did not need to know about their lives.

"I…uhh…well…" her voice wobbled and wavered without leading anywhere.

"I gotta go, Gibbs!" piped Abby, deciding to take the opportunity to slip off, reminding him of Aimee's earlier escape as well. He was battling a thousand with his daughters escaping explanations this afternoon.

He covered the mouthpiece on the phone and called after her. "Abby, don't you commit to anything!"

She turned and lifted her hands in the air in victory. "It's gonna be great, Gibbs; don't worry." And she disappeared out the door.

Gibbs silently puffed out his cheeks. Abby was going to give him an ulcer or at the very least, a whole new crop of grey hair. He couldn't keep up to her moods. Her donating bone marrow didn't surprise him though. It was something Abby would do. Abby would give her heart away to save another's life if she could do so and still find a way to stay alive. She had a very generous heart.

He forced himself to return his attention back to Makayla. "Mak?"

"Ummm…do…can I…would it…" she stammered over her words and she sniffled quietly.

"Take a deep breath, kiddo and spit it out," He encouraged as he saw Tony walk into the room with Janessa on his heels. Gibbs held up a finger, walked over to the girls' whiteboard and wrote Makayla's name on it.

Tony nodded his understanding and was quiet, picking up Janessa and pressing a finger to her lips.

"Would it b-be okay if I came over to hang out with Riley?"

"Sure, that's fine with me, Mak," he said kindly. "Did you try and call Riley and ask him?"

"He won't answer his phone," she said, still sniffling.

"Mak, are you okay, sweetie. You sound really upset. You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"I know. It's nothing. My mom and I had a fight."

Gibbs sighed. When would Julia back off? "About school?"

"Yah. She told my headmaster I have to stop taking art classes but if I do, I will lose a credit for this semester."

"I see."

"My mom said I can make up the credit in summer school."

Gibbs clenched his jaw in irritation. Of all the stupid, idiotic things to do. It was less than three weeks until Makayla's semester would be finished. It made no sense to him for Makayla to lose an entire credit when she could complete the course at the end of the semester. "Speaking of school…shouldn't you be in classes right now?" He glanced at his watch and it told him it was half-past one. Yep, she definitely should be in class and not talking to him on the phone.

Makayla fell silent again.

"Mak." His voice held a small warning in it. "Aren't you in enough trouble already with your headmaster?"

"Ummm…" She stifled what he distinguished as a sob. His heart went out to her. It was obvious she was miserable and carrying the weight of the world on her little shoulders.

"Okay, where are you? I'm coming to get you."

"No, Gibbs, w-wait," she attempted but he cut her off sternly.

"Makayla, the way I see it is, either I'm coming to get you or I'm calling your dad to get you. Which will it be?"

She sighed through a few sobs. "I-I'm at the ice cream place."

Gibbs groaned in frustration. "Makayla!" He couldn't help but scold her as his anger mounted. Makayla wasn't helping herself by continuously provoking her mother's anger. The ice cream parlour was about a half-hour from her school which meant Makayla purposely skipped school. Things were getting worse with her instead of better. Before Julia and Mike had returned home, Makayla had been at least trying to make amends at school. Now she was spiralling out of control again. All this nonsense needed to stop. What was it going to take for Julia to see what she was doing to this little girl? The poor kid could have been killed the last time she ran away, for Pete's sake. Couldn't Julia see the damage she was doing?


	14. Chapter 14

_**Greetings Readers,**_

_**Thanks so much for reading along and encouraging me through your reviews and private messages. :)**_

_**Hippiechic81-you're correct, Abby didn't sign up to be a donor for a kidney transplant until season nine; however, I referred to Abby first signing up to donate bone marrow, which I am assuming happened previously since Gibbs asked her if she was donating bone marrow again. My storyline will be regarding that first time :)**_

_**Thanks for being patient with me and for reading along.**_

_**Happy reading.**_

_**Special thanks to 90TheGeneral09...he has written a story digging deeper into some "behind the scenes" events at Xavier Preparatory School, where Makayla attends...you may be interested in reading that. His creation is his own and will not necessarily blend with my story. **__**I enjoyed reading it.**_

_**Many blessings,**_

_**Jenny :)**_

Gibbs mentally counted to 10 several times as he headed out the door to his old gray truck to pick up Makayla. He was angry, not so much with the teenage girl but with her overbearing, unrelenting, narcissistic mother. Julia Wallace took the cake that was for sure, and Gibbs didn't know what he could do about it. Just how much was it his right to interfere on Makayla's behalf? The poor little girl was a train wreck but her mother didn't see it. And her father, well, Mike seemed to have his hands tied when it came to his wife. He was a good man and from what Gibbs had heard, he was a viper in court. What Gibbs didn't understand was how the man could just sit idly by and allow his wife to control things and not do anything about it, especially considering the fact that his little girl was so obviously crumbling to pieces. What kind of hold did Julia have that she could so skillfully control her entire family?

His phone rang and he reached for it absentmindedly. "Gibbs," he said as he concentrated on the road.

"Hey, Boss."

"Tony." Gibbs clenched his jaw remembering that Aimee had snuck off to show Tony something that she hadn't wanted him to see. In all the commotion with Makayla, he'd forgotten to check in with Tony to see what it was all about. "Let me guess, you're calling about Aimee."

Tony chuckled. "How'd you guess?"

"Spill it, DiNozzo," he said, a little sharper than he meant to. He forced himself to take a deep breath to help control his growing irritation. He didn't need to take his annoyance out on Tony. Tony had been nothing but helpful to him since he'd adopted his girls. He was grateful beyond words.

"Apparently Aimee found a switchblade at the park. She showed it to me making me promise to keep her little secret." Gibbs didn't know if he should be thankful or insulted that Tony didn't seem bothered by his terseness. The younger man didn't even miss a beat when explaining things. Then the word switchblade registered in his brain and his eyes widened in alarm.

"A switchblade?" Gibbs echoed in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me. When did she find that?" He inwardly shuddered at the thought. He lived in one of the safest areas in D.C. There wasn't even any gang activity at the local public high school which was unfathomable in this day and age. His community was known for its white picket fences and moms who religiously attended PTA meetings and baked apple pies and chocolate chip cookies. The community watch program was meticulous and parents watched the playgrounds like well-trained guard dogs.

"Got no clue and currently, the little dictator isn't speaking to me. She's mad as a hornet because I confiscated the contraband from her."

Gibbs puffed out his lips in exasperation. Just what he needed: an incensed nine year old who felt like an injustice had been done against her. Aimee was unpredictable under the best of circumstances but when she was angry, it meant he was in for one hell of a battle of wills; however, he knew in his gut that it was a battle he'd need to wage with her. It would be much easier to battle small things with her when she was young rather than brushing things under the rug and dealing with bigger things in the future when she was a hormonal teenager.

"Riley's trying to talk some sense into her," continued Tony. "She climbed your damned tree again. Riley said she deliberately went past your painted lines. He's keeping an eye on her."

Gibbs groaned out loud this time. If she kept defying him like that, he was gonna cut the damned tree down.

"She'll be fine, Boss."

"I know." It was true. He knew she would be. He'd installed a safety net around the tree just in case. He didn't trust her to obey his painted lines anyway. When Aimee was pissed off, she didn't care what consequences came her way. She did what she wanted. "If she falls, tie her to the damned tree!" He only half meant it. She'd been doing so well lately but he'd known it was only a matter of time until she'd tumbled off the cliff again. "Janessa okay?"

"Yah, she's easy enough to sidetrack. All I needed to do was make up a fun little game." Gibbs smirked envisioning the sparkle in Tony's eyes when he spoke about playing games with his youngest blonde-haired munchkin. Janessa had managed to wrap Tony around her baby little finger. "I called Ziva to pick her up. She's taking her to the daycare and offered to take her out for supper if need be."

Gibbs' heaved a sigh of relief. Janessa always got worked up and upset when Aimee pulled these little stunts. The last thing he needed was to worry about her too. "Thanks, DiNozzo. Where are you right now?"

"In the backyard watching Riley try to catch Aimee in the tree. It's pretty entertaining actually. Riley's as stubborn as she is."

"Don't let him chase her up too far. I don't want to have to call the fire department to get her down."

Tony chuckled. "Oh, Riley's determined enough. I don't think Aimee stands a chance against him."

Gibbs rolled his eyes picturing the scene in his head. Riley was definitely determined and stubborn, but Gibbs wasn't sure if anyone could be more stubborn than Aimee.

"I'm not too worried about Aimee being in danger. She could climb that tree in her sleep. Riley's better to handle her from the ground. I don't need him chasing her further up the tree. She's pretty agile in trees and the net will catch her if she does anything stupid. Tell Riley not to piss her off any more than she already is."

"Will do."

"DiNozzo?"

"Yah, Boss?"

Gibbs paused thoughtfully. "Don't mention anything to Riley about Makayla."

"Something wrong?"

"I just don't want to stir him up right now. He has enough on his plate."

"Gotcha. I'll pull Riley off Aimee, and keep an eye on her for you. Maybe if you're really lucky, I'll even manage to talk her down."

Gibbs shook his head. He wasn't counting on it. Aimee wasn't one to listen to reason when she was angry. He'd deal with her soon enough and she had a rude awakening coming to her if she thought she was going to one-up him. Between Aimee and Abby taking off mid-conversation, he was soon going to grow a brand new crop of grey hair. Before long, he would be completely gray.

"Riley can probably handle it fine until I get back if you need to head back to NCIS."

"It's okay, I've got time."

"Thanks, Tony."

XxXxNCISxXxX

Tony dropped his phone into his pocket and shielded his eyes from the sun. Hearing Gibbs thank him so genuinely warmed his heart and made him smile. Something had changed about the man since adopting Aimee and Janessa. Gibbs wasn't often one to show his appreciation in words, or really, in deed either. His team was expected to do their job and do it well. On the rare occasion when he did offer praise, it was noticed by all and greatly cherished by the receiver. Perhaps Gibbs was softening in his old age?

Tony shielded his eyes against the sun and bit back a smirk as he saw Riley reach Aimee only to be kicked in the head. He watched as the girl proceeded to climb a few limbs higher, way past the lines Gibbs had drawn as out of bounds. Tony cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted up at Riley.

"Riley, stop sending her further up the damned tree."

"I almost got her that time," the teenager shouted back down.

"Yah, almost being the keyword. Git your butt down here!"

Riley made a face at him but when Tony motioned a little more forcefully, the teen obeyed and began his descent.

He cupped his hands around his mouth again. "You better get your little butt down here too, Aimee or Gibbs is gonna set it on fire," shouted Tony.

"Shut up, Benedict Arnold!"

Tony shook his head with a chuckle. A part of him was impressed with the nine-year-old's knowledge of history. Either that or she'd heard the term used on the playground and was just mimicking it.

"I didn't rat on you because I'm afraid of Gibbs, for Pete's sake. Switchblades are dangerous! You could have cut your arm off."

"Lair," she yelled, "You're nothing but a kiss ass."

Yup, she definitely understood the context of the name she'd used. Smart little dictator, she was. Tony shook his head in amazement. It was times like this that reaffirmed his decision to never have kids. They were too damned unpredictable. He looked over to see Riley jump to the ground and walk towards him with a sullen expression on his face.

"I could have reached her, you know."

"And then what? Tackle her in the tree and throw her down?"

"There's a net…"

Tony lifted a brow in amusement. "Yah, good plan, Einstein. Give the kid PSTD tossing her out of the tree."

Riley scowled at him unamused which only made Tony elbow him in the side. Riley was the typical impulsive teenager and Tony understood his brashness. It wasn't so long ago he was the same. Tony had always leapt first and thought about the consequences later, and it hadn't always worked in his favour either; in fact, most of the time he crashed and burned. Tony inwardly cringed when he thought about his own adolescence. It wasn't something he cared to reflect upon very often. It was definitely not one filled with warm, fuzzy memories. "Lighten up, Boy Scout. We can watch her from the ground. Let's make popcorn and entice her outta the tree. Maybe her stomach will betray her."

Riley smirked despite his apparent annoyance with Tony calling him out of the tree. "She's as bad as Mak for running away from her problems."

Tony couldn't disagree. Between Mak and Aimee, Gibbs was going to lose his mind. Tony wasn't sure how the older man stayed so patient.

"Let's give her some time to calm down. Chasing her is only going to end in some kind of disaster. Frankly, I don't need that on my conscience today. Let's just ride it out a little."

Riley sighed and climbed out of his harness. He felt around his jeans and frowned. "Shit."

"Something the matter?"

"Have you seen my phone anywhere?"

Tony shook his head.

"It was in my pocket when I climbed up."

"Scour around the bottom of the tree. Probably fell out of your pocket."

Riley scowled but took off towards the tree once more.

Tony looked around the yard and spied a couple of lawn chairs leaning up against the side of the house. If he was going to be bird watching, he might as well be comfortable doing it. He felt his stomach growl as he glanced at his watch. It was nearly 2 pm. Had he even eaten lunch yet? He couldn't remember. His morning had been such a flurry of activity. He carried the chairs midway to the tree and sat down. Leaning back, he shielded his eyes and searched the tree for the wayward munchkin. Finding her, he noticed she had hunkered down against the trunk in the middle of the tree. It didn't look like she was going to come down anytime soon. Popcorn was sounding more and more like a good idea.

"Shit."

Tony frowned and looked towards Riley who was walking towards him while staring at his phone.

"What's up?"

"Did Gibbs say where he was going?" asked Riley, looking up with a flood of concern on his face.

"Said he needed to take care of something," replied Tony, which wasn't a complete lie. Gibbs had told him about Makayla and that he needed to take care of the situation because it had gotten so out of hand. Tony had a sneaking suspicion Makayla wasn't going to enjoy how Gibbs took care of things either. Gibbs' tolerance level for runaways was less than nil. And from what little he knew about Makayla's situation, the teen girl was treading on thin ice with her parents and her school.

"Can I borrow your car?"

Tony frowned. "Riley, before I can give you that kind of permission, I need to know what's going on?"

Riley heaved a loud sigh, looking very frustrated. "Look, I don't have time to explain. Can I borrow your car or not?"

Tony stood to his feet. "Not unless you talk to me."

Riley's face took on a more aggressive appearance. "Forget it. I'll take Gibbs' other car. He won't mind." With those words, Riley began to take off towards the side of the house.

Tony groaned. "I didn't sign up for this shit," he muttered under his breath as he took one quick look at Aimee to be sure she was still firmly planted in her place and then turned to go after Riley. "Riley, wait!"

Riley ignored him and kept heading towards the side of the house, hell-bent on going after Makayla.

"Riley, I mean it, stop for a minute and listen," said Tony with an edge of annoyance in his voice. Gibbs needed some time with Makayla and Riley taking off to interfere wouldn't bode well for the teenager or probably the entire situation in general. Tony picked up his pace and caught Riley by the arm. "I said stop. Geez, kid, I get the whole macho thing but this isn't the way to do it."

Riley stopped and shook Tony's hand off his arm. "Look, DiNozzo, don't get in my way, alright?"

Tony raised his hands in a show of good faith. "All I'm asking is for you to talk to me. Makayla texted you, didn't she?"

Riley was silent but the look on his face gave everything away.

"Look, she tried to get a hold of you but when she couldn't, she called Gibbs. You need to let Gibbs handle this."

"Why the hell should I?"

"Because Gibbs can help and you, my friend, have no say in anything to do with Mackie. C'mon, what can you do, Hotdog? Swoop in and rescue her? No, you can't. Makayla has some big issues to deal with and you can't help her. Gibbs can."

"How? By hitting her again?"

Tony furrowed a brow. "What?" What on earth was Riley referring to? "When did Gibbs hit Mak?"

Riley groaned and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. "Never mind. You and I both know that Mak only called Gibbs because she was trying to find me. He should have told me! She texted me earlier today to say she was going to her art class despite what her mom said. Her last text said her teacher kicked her out of class. She's upset. She tried to handle things on her own, but as usual, her stupid idiot of a mother ruined everything for her. That woman is a real piece of work. Three weeks until the end of semester and she makes her drop a course that she is excelling in. How does that even make any sense?"

Tony reached out a hand and placed it on Riley's shoulder. "Hold the phone, buddy. Back up the bus. I'm still back at you thinking Gibbs would hit Makayla? Why would you say that?" Tony's head was reeling with the information about Makayla being forced to drop a course near the end of the semester but he was still stuck at the previous comment. One thing at a time.

Riley threw his hands up. "Are you kidding me? How does this even surprise you? Gibbs hits you all the goddamned time. He hit her when she tried to run away to New York and again not that long ago and I still can't figure that one out."

Tony scanned his mind for the situations Riley was referring to and then it suddenly occurred to him what Riley was talking about.

"Geez, Riley, you need to be careful about how you talk. You make it sound like Gibbs abused Mak…"

"What do you call it then?"

Tony took a moment to organize his thoughts before he answered. He observed Riley's demeanour: the strained, tight muscles in his jaw and his frantic expression. This topic was a tough one; complicated to explain yet somehow with Riley, it felt monumental. "I call it discipline and so did her parents. Gibbs shared everything that went down with Makayla with her parents. He might have overstepped his boundaries a little but Gibbs would never raise a hand in anger to any kid. He spanked Mak as loving discipline but he certainly did not just simply hit her. That's not Gibbs' style at all."

Riley grimaced. "You're talking semantics, DiNozzo. It's the same damned thing. Hitting is hitting. What the hell difference does it make that he didn't beat her or punch her? It's still hitting."

Tony turned to check on Aimee, who was still perched high in the tree but still in the same spot. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing heart. He wasn't cut out for this parenting gig. Kids were exhausting. How did he get roped into this anyway? Gibbs owed him big time. He needed an ice-cold beer and meat lover's pizza with extra cheese and Gibbs better pay up.

"Listen to me, Rye. I can see how you're looking at things but I'm telling you that discipline is different. I know that's difficult for you to wrap your head around given your past, but believe me when I say that I completely get it and understand. Hell, my ole man liked to talk with his fists now and then too. It wasn't until I was 17 and stuck at some godforsaken military school that I discovered the difference."

Riley puffed out his cheeks but Tony could see the muscles in the kid's jaw constricting and releasing.

"Can we just go sit and talk about this? I think we should keep an eye on the birdie in the tree."

Riley looked like he was going to argue some more when his phone chimed again. He looked at his phone for a moment and responded quickly before dropping it in his pocket. "Looks like Gibbs is with Mak now. Damnit!" Riley sighed in frustration, "She said she'd call me later."

"Okay. Let's respect that and assume she's okay with Gibbs for the moment, okay. It's good that she has her phone back, right? Maybe that means her parents are being more reasonable."

"No, it means her sister loaned her an older one that she had laying around."

"Well, that's good. Maybe her sister is on her side. Are Mak and her sister close?"

Tony began to slowly walk back towards the lawn chairs in the centre of the lawn. He was relieved when Riley followed him and sat down. Riley shaded his eyes with his hand and looked up at Aimee.

"Not really. Melissa and Mak are nothing alike and hardly talk most of the time. Her sister is some kind of big wig at the school or something and is pissed off at her for making so much trouble but Makayla said Melissa felt sorry for her. Everyone but her idiot mother realizes how unfair it is to pull Mak out of class this close to the end of the semester."

Tony nodded, not knowing how to respond to Riley. Julia Wallace had to have a good reason to do what she did, didn't she? As much as it seemed illogical to him, Tony wasn't a parent and had no plans in the near future to become one. He could barely hold his own life together, let alone consider being responsible for another life. His father was the worst excuse for a parent in the history of the world. Julia had to be better than Senior by a long shot.

"Yah, I don't get that either."

Riley seemed to consider Tony's words for a minute and then eyed Aimee in the tree. "Think she'll ever come down on her own steam?" he asked, switching the topic.

Tony sat down. "Yup, I do. She'll eventually get hungry and if that doesn't get to her first, her bladder will."

Riley sniffed and a little smirk crossed his lips as he took a seat beside Tony. "I'd just whizz in the tree."

Tony chuckled. "Me too, but unfortunately for Aimee, she doesn't have quite the same equipment we do. I don't think she's gonna want to stay up in that tree with wet pants." Tony zipped up his jacket a little higher and shivered. The wind was bitterly cold despite the warmth of the sun. It was definitely December. Aimee was wearing a light windbreaker and was probably warm enough sheltered in the tree but he didn't imagine that was going to last for long as the sun began to set later on.

Riley rubbed his hands on his pants and leaned back further into the chair. "So, military school, huh? That must have sucked," he commiserated.

Tony nodded with a groan. "Royally. Got kicked out of six boarding schools, but I managed to hang in at the last one and graduate."

"Six?" Riley's eyes widened.

"Yup."

"Damn. You were a badass, weren't you?"

"Hey, what makes you think it was my fault?"

Riley shrugged, "Was it?"

Tony chuckled. "Totally."

"So, let me guess, a teacher kicked your ass or something?"

"Something like that." Tony put his hands behind his head and watched Aimee shuffle positions a little before settling herself on another branch. Her legs were fidgeting and he wondered if it was a sign of needing to use the restroom or of her legs going to sleep.

"The place was called Remington Military Academy." Tony shuddered at the memories. "Made a few decent friends along the way, but I had a basketball coach who saved my ass from the Honors Corps; he really went above and beyond the call of duty to get through to me. I had a mountain-sized chip on my shoulder, and my coach just happened to know how to knock it off the right way."

Riley scoffed. "There's a right way?" Then after a moment's pause, he furrowed a brow and continued, "What's the Honor Corps?"

"Basically, there are a self-appointed group of jackasses…um… err…elite students that threaten and torture cadets who don't measure up. If you broke a rule or brought down squad performance in any way, they paid you a little visit." Tony used his fingers to make quotes around the word, visit.

Riley rolled his eyes, easily getting the point. "So, a bunch of self-righteous rich bullies."

"Pretty much. Anyway, if it wasn't for Coach Tanner, I'd have probably jumped ship but he made a big difference. Sucked at the time but he set me straight and I graduated with my class. I even got pretty damned good at basketball. Coach was part of the reason why I studied Physical Education in College."

"Okay, so, your coach kicked your ass."

Tony chuckled. "Wiseass. Shut up and I'll tell you." Tony stood to his feet. "But before I do, I'm going to make some popcorn. I'm starving. Keep an eye on the twerp up there but keep your feet on the ground."

XxXxNCISxXxX

Makayla sat on the bench outside the ice cream parlour, staring at the cars that passed by. Her tears had dissipated a little but they lingered frozen on her cheeks. The weather had taken a colder turn and there was a hint of snow in the air. It was only a matter of time before D.C would see its first snowfall of the season, likely just in time for Christmas.

"Are ya cold?"

Makayla startled a little as she turned to see Gibbs sitting beside her on the bench. "Geez, Gibbs, are you part Ninja or something?" She noticed he held a warm blanket in his hands. He offered it to her without responding to her startled rebuke and she gladly accepted it. All she'd worn that day was a light jacket over her blazer and her skirt went just past her knees. She should have worn tights but hadn't given it much thought and had opted for socks instead. She still hoped for warmer days but they seemed to be fleeting at best, much like her happiness it seemed. She wrapped the blanket around her legs and sheepishly looked up at Gibbs.

"Thanks."

"Welcome."

Makayla waited for him to say something and as she did, she took in his demeanor. He didn't look angry or upset. In fact, he looked kind of sad. His eyes were compassionate even. She'd expected…well, she wasn't sure what she'd expected to be honest. Gibbs was unpredictable. She'd certainly learned that in the short time she'd known him.

"Aren't you going to say something?"

"What do you want me to say?" he asked.

"I dunno…" Tears flooded to her eyes again. She'd expected him to scold her or yell at her or something but his silence was disconcerting. She wasn't in the mood for any mind games. "Gibbs, can I come and stay at your house? Please? I won't be any trouble. I just can't take it at home anymore."

Gibbs remained unfazed by her outburst. "Mak, I'm not sure you'd like it at my house right now. You're in a whole world of trouble with me."

Her eyes widened and she slid further away from him on the bench, muttering, and "I'm in trouble at home and school too. What's the difference?"

Gibbs slid closer to her and wrapped a warm arm around her shoulders. The heartfelt gesture tipped the scales enough to push her over the edge and she burst out sobbing. Gibbs drew her in closer and wrapped both arms around her while she cried. He didn't say anything but just held her. Makayla leaned into him and didn't even try to stop the emotions from washing over her in waves. She was humiliated and at her wits end. She had shown up to her favourite class, hoping to talk to her teacher but her instructor had asked her to leave. Makayla had never felt so disgraced. Fellow students in her class had gawked at her as she gathered up her belongings and left. Without her art class, she couldn't even stomach the thought of staying. What would be the point? The only reason she stayed and gave things even a half-hearted chance was because she had her art class to look forward to. That class had given her purpose. Her mother had zapped any chance of her being happy at Xavier straight out of her life. Without that class, there was nothing to keep her at Xavier. The other students at Xavier barely tolerated her anymore. They always looked at her like she was some kind of parasite, someone that was poisoning their airspace of something. All of them too good for the likes of her, including her sister.

"So, why'd you skip?" Gibbs suddenly asked.

Makayla sniffled and tried to bring herself under control. She wasn't even sure it was worth the effort to talk to Gibbs. He'd never understand anyway.

"My teacher kicked me out of class."

"Art?"

"Yah."

"Why'd you go?"

Makayla pulled away from him and wiped her nose of the back of her sleeve. "It's my favourite class."

"Your mom said you had to drop it."

"I thought I could change my teacher's mind."

Gibbs sighed. "That's half the problem, Mak. You keep thinking you can undermine authority. You can't. You have to follow the rules. Bucking the system will just leave you endlessly discontent."

Makayla's watery eyes looked into Gibbs. "What am I supposed to do? Just sit by and be controlled by unfair circumstances?"

"Yes," he said without missing a beat. "Sometimes in life, we have to accept the consequences of our actions and just, for the lack of a better word, suck it up."

Makayla hiccupped, caught between shock and the unfairness of the situation. She wanted someone to rescue her and help her get out of the predicament she was in. She had tried to do it on her own and each day that went by only got worse. Anything she did just made it worse.

"It's not my fault! It's my mother's fault. I never asked to be pulled out of that class, Gibbs!"

"No, but you broke the rules, Mak and now you have to accept the consequences, unfair or not."

Makayla huffed in annoyance.

"I know you're frustrated…" commiserated Gibbs, offering her a tissue from his pocket which Makayla accepted. He watched as she blew her nose and then leaned into him again. The fight seemed to be slowly draining out of her. "Trust me, I understand your frustration. In my line of work, I run into things that irritate the crap out of me all the time, people and situations I have no control over, including you." He eyed her seriously than smirked.

"I'm sorry, Agent Gibbs…"

He sighed and wrapped an arm around her again. "The way I see it, you only have two choices, Mackie. You either accept things the way they are and live peaceably with those around you or you keep fighting everyone and end up miserable. There is no middle ground here."

Makayla hiccupped, feeling exasperated and trapped. There was no way that she was going to accept things the way they were. She was not going to just give in. Her art was too important to her. Xavier wasn't going to break her down. It was a prep school for mindless automatons. Those kids were content to be moulded into robots with no capacity to think outside of themselves. Makayla was not content to be that kind of person. She had more respect for herself than that.

Makayla stood to her feet suddenly, dropping the blanket to the ground and facing Gibbs. "Well, I guess I keep fighting, Agent Gibbs because I'm not okay with accepting things the way they are. I hate Xavier Preparatory school with every fibre of my being. I don't fit in there, and I'm not staying somewhere where I don't belong." Her entire body was trembling as the words came spilling off her lips.

Gibbs grabbed her hand before she could take off running again. "Don't run away." His voice held a warning in it and it made Makayla's feet stay firmly rooted in place.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, her eyes pleading with him to understand. She had no one else on her side. She needed someone to listen and hear her. She was desperate.

"Okay, kiddo, you win. Let's go talk to your parents," said Gibbs, standing to his feet suddenly.

Makayla's heart jumped into her throat. "NO! We can't. My mom won't listen…" Makayla began to yank her hand away, ready to flee as far as she could.

Gibbs held on tightly, not releasing his firm grip on her hand. He gave her a gentle shake. "Yes. I've have had enough of this, Mak, and frankly, so have you. Things are going to stop here and now. You will not run away. You are going to face your parents and we are going to talk this out."

Makayla shook her head and frantically began yanking her hand away. "No, it won't work!"

Gibbs gripped her by the shoulders tightly and stared sternly into her eyes. "Stop running away! If you are going to fight this, you need to do it right."

Makayla shook her head, not calming down but instead escalating. She pushed Gibbs away and turned to run from him but he caught her by the arm once again. "Lemme go!" she screamed at him, this time turning and kicking him as hard as she could in the shin. As soon as she did it, she froze in shock. She knew that she'd crossed a line and her eyes widened in panic, not being able to think straight or even utter a word in response. Before she knew what was happening, she found herself being hauled over his shoulder and adjusted so she couldn't move. She dissolved into sobs.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Hi Readers!**_

_**Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to any Canadians reading along.**_

_**I'm sorry it's taken so long to update. You will be happy to know that I have the next chapter written...just needs editing...if you're lucky, I may even get it posted sometime this weekend. I edited this last chapter so many times LOL**_

_**Thanks for all the reviews and for reading along...if it wasn't for all the reviews, I probably would have given up on this story. I love writing this universe but have so little time this year.**_

_**Keep reviewing and it will keep me inspired not to let you down. :)**_

_**Special thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! **_

_**All my love,**_

_**Jenny :)**_

Gibbs clenched his jaw as he shouldered Makayla's weight and walked towards his truck. On a mission just to get her to his truck, he turned a blind eye to the disapproving glares from people walking past him and tried to ignore the intense throbbing coming from his shin. He felt sure the vibes he was giving off more than aptly told onlookers to back off and mind their own business. Thankfully, Makayla wasn't fighting him or making the scene any worse than it needed to be. Of course, he was pissed enough not to care even if she had caused a scene. His shin was sore, and he'd reached his limit of little girl drama. Truth be known, he'd reached his limit of little girl drama months ago. Once he reached his truck, he flung the door open and as gently as he had it in him to do at that moment, he deposited the sobbing on the passenger seat, engaged the child locks and slammed the door. Then he leaned against his truck and closed his eyes.

_ Deep breath in, deep breath out. Concentrate on breathing._

He grimaced as he leaned down and rubbed his shin. He was going to have one hell of a bruise from that kick, but he needed to calm down so he wouldn't overreact. Pain had a way of doing that to a person. She wasn't trying to hurt him. He knew that much.

_Stupid dress shoes. They should be licenced as lethal weapons. Whatever happened to tennis shoes? Sneakers? That's what everyone wore to school when he was a kid. At least she wasn't wearing high heel shoes. Ask him how he knew how much that could injure a foot when brought down with any force._

"I'm so sorry, Agent Gibbs."

He craned his neck around to see that she'd unrolled the window. Child locks were nice but his old truck was old. Heck, on the scale of old, his was ancient; it still had crank windows.

"A-are you okay? I'm so so sorry…" she sobbed.

Facing forward again, Gibbs puffed out his cheeks. He knew she was sorry. He'd seen the flood of regret wash over her face as soon as her foot made contact with his shin, but it didn't change the fact that she'd kicked him and it hurt like hell.

"Close the window and give me a minute," he muttered, still trying to collect his thoughts. He probably needed more than a minute but a minute wasn't unreasonable to ask for, right? He turned to see her frightened eyes, filled with tears, pleading with him and communicating a thousand things he couldn't even begin to understand. "It's okay, Mak," he reassured her. "I'm fine. Just give me a minute."

He watched as tears cascaded down her reddened cheeks. She nodded and rolled up the window. He leaned against the truck again. He was proud of himself for sounding so calm and collected when his head was reeling in a myriad of different directions. What did he think he could do to change anything? Makayla was not his responsibility. He had no say in anything to do with her or her life. Hell, Jenn had already given up battling against her sister. How did he think he could get anywhere with Julia? What could he possibly do that he hadn't tried already? Oh, he knew what he wanted to do, but he was pretty sure Mike Wallace wouldn't take kindly to him knocking his wife into the middle of next week. Pretty sure that wouldn't be taken well by anyone; despite the fact the woman deserved it.

Damn it! He thought his ex-wife, Diane was hard-headed. She was nothing compared to Julia Wallace. At least Diane listened to Emily and seemed to care about what made her daughter happy. Julia didn't seem to care about Makayla's happiness in the here and now. What was it with redheaded women that made them so damned stubborn?

Gibbs sighed and then smirked to himself. Why was his life always full of redheaded women? Shannon had been a red-headed spitfire too but he'd loved her fiery passion. Shannon was never one to sit by and allow an injustice. He could almost hear her voice in his head.

_"You're not gonna just take that shit sitting down, are you, Gibbs?"_

Shannon fought for everything in their little nook of the woods. If there was a human rights issue to be had, Shannon took it on. She sat on the board as the head of the PTA in Kelly's school. She took on the principal singlehandedly and won when the school policy unfairly said kids couldn't carry backpacks to class because they were fire hazards. She fought against uniforms in the schools. Whatever made Shannon passionate, she faced the issue head-on and nothing—not even _his_ authoritarian ways—stopped her. As much as it had exasperated him, he'd been proud of her. And, yes, he was proud of Makayla as well. She was standing up for her rights and, although misguided in some ways, Makayla needed an advocate; someone with balls enough to stand up against Julia.

Gibbs rubbed the back of his neck and slowly made his way around his truck, getting in. Mak was quietly sniffling and trying to catch her breath. His heart melted; despite his frustration with her, he couldn't help but pull her in for a hug. He knew that her little outburst had come out of fear and exasperation and had nothing to do with intentionally trying to injure him. Her little body shook with sobs as she melted into his embrace.

"Shhh….it's okay. I'm not angry with you," he reassured her. He had been angry—very angry— but never for a moment angry with her, well, except for several seconds after she'd kicked him. He was angry at the situation and at her mother's obstinacy but never at Makayla.

"I'm so sorry…"

He rubbed circles on her back. "I know you are, sweetheart. It's okay."

"I-I kicked you…"

"Yah, I noticed. I didn't appreciate that so much…"

Makayla dissolved into sobs once again.

"Hey, I'm fine," he said pulling away and tipping up her chin, "Enough tears, okay?"

She swallowed hard and nodded, choking back the tears and trying to stuff them away. After a few minutes, she managed to gain control.

"Look, I understand that you're tired of fighting with your parents but this running away nonsense has got to stop. You understand that don't you? It's digging you in deeper and deeper trouble and one day you're gonna end up doing something stupid that you won't be able to recover from. I'm giving you the chance to face your parents with someone having your back. But, Mak, you've got to stop the running. I'm about this close to taking you across my knee…" He held up his thumb and forefinger about an inch from each other. He let his voice trail off at this point. He didn't even want to speculate with himself what he'd do if she took off on him again. He'd reached his limit of enough.

Makayla's eyes widened, and a few miscreant tears tumbled down her cheeks but she remained silent, struck dumb by his words.

Gibbs knew he'd captured her attention, and he'd meant every damned word. He was so close to it now that she had no idea how lucky she was at this very moment. He was sick to death of the drama, and he was going to do his damnedest to end it. "Yah, I bet that got your attention. I'm glad it did because I'm not joking around. I'm fed up to here," He frowned as his hand hit the roof of the truck, "Things are going to change today." If the truth were known, he was fed up much more than just to the roof of his truck. He was fed up to the highest heavens.

Makayla swallowed again but her mouth was too dry to say anything in response.

"Buckle up," said Gibbs as he put the truck in gear.

XxXxXxNCISxXxXxX

Gibbs' thoughts swam around, simmering with his annoyance; he'd listened to Julia Wallace berate her daughter with sharp, seemingly careless words for the past 20 minutes and she showed no sign of stopping. His temper bubbled deep down in his gut as he watched Makayla remain silently defeated; her face displaying raw emotions plain for all to see, yet seemingly going unseen by the ones who were supposed to love her the most. Gibbs tossed an aggravated glare in Mike Wallace's direction; the man sat silent. Gibbs could not understand how the man could allow it to continue without saying anything; the lecture was sounding more like a blatant insult, bordering on abuse with no sign of it ending. Makayla melted further into the sofa, tears falling down her flushed cheeks. It appeared like she didn't have any fight left in her, but Gibbs feared she was recharging. He couldn't be sure, but his gut was telling him that he hadn't seen anything yet.

"Okay, that's enough." Gibbs finally said as he stood to his feet, not being able to bear the scene any longer. His voice sounded foreign in his own ears as his deep tone permeated the room and rose above Julia's high pitched, endless diatribe.

Julia spun on her heel, hitting him with a scathing glare. "I beg your pardon?"

Gibbs took a step forward and entered Julia's personal bubble. "I said that's enough."

"How dare you!" Julia's face reddened but she did not back down, "This has nothing to do with you…"

"I can't stomach watching you tear your daughter to pieces without once noticing her current mental state."

"Now, just one minute," interrupted Mike, stepping forward in his wife's defence. "Julia is simply trying to…"

"With all due respect, Mike, you piss me off the most right now. How can you just sit there and allow your wife to tear your little girl apart like that?" Gibbs' voice was piercing. He was sick to death of Makayla's parents tearing her apart without giving her any hope for resolution. It was one thing to admonish and discipline in love but it was quite another to heartlessly tear a child down all the time. "Look at Makayla!" he demanded, pointing at her. Gibbs wondered if the man was reacting out of some kind of misguided loyalty to his wife because surely the man had heard the biting words spewing out of her mouth. He couldn't imagine how any father could idly sit by and allow such hurtful words to be said about his own child.

Makayla dissolved into sobs at that point, curling herself up into a ball, and hiding her face. Gibbs' heart ached. He'd seen Aimee withdraw like that at time or two; he recognized despair when he saw it. Makayla had reached the end of her ability to cope.

"I think you should leave, Agent Gibbs, before you say something else you might regret," said Mike, taking a few purposeful steps towards Gibbs.

Gibbs held up his hand and shook his head. "I'm not leaving until you hear me out."

Mike sighed wearily but stepped away.

Gibbs turned to see that all of Makayla's composure was gone. Her small shoulders were shaking as she sobbed. It was unnerving to see, and he didn't know if he should send her from the room or just continue on. It was obvious he was making things worse. He felt like she needed to hear what he had to say as much as they did, but she didn't look good. Makayla needed to speak up for herself, and he intended to make sure her parents heard her, but after a few seconds of waffling in indecision, he decided it best to send her out of the room.

"Mackie," he said gently and surprisingly, her head popped up at the sound of his voice. "Go get your sketchbook for me." Tears fell down her cheeks as she shook her head vehemently. Gibbs walked over to her and placed a gentle hand on her head. "Do you trust me?" He had no time for her to rebel against him right now. Makayla sat up and nodded before rising slowly to her feet and disappearing from the room. He was grateful for the bond that had formed between them. Despite her present state of mind, she still trusted him and he was thankful for that.

"I want you to leave this minute!" hissed Julia, as soon as Makayla left the room.

Things were about to get real now. Gibbs closed his eyes for a second and forced down the rage that was building inside him. He needed to speak calmly or they'd never listen to him.

"If the both of you don't get off your high horse, you're gonna lose that little girl. The day she turns eighteen she's going to walk out of your lives forever. Is that what you want? Makayla is pleading with you to open your eyes and SEE who she is. She is not a carbon copy of you, Julia…"

Julia's eyes narrowed. "You have some nerve coming into our home and…"

"And what?" asked Gibbs. "Telling you the truth? Julia, Mackie called me today weeping, begging me to let her stay with me because she can't take living in this house any longer. She's screaming for you to listen to her. Can't you see that? She's already tried to run away. She's skipped classes, climbed a goddamned tree, for Pete's sake. She could've been killed! What's it going to take for you to listen to her? Finding her dead on the streets somewhere? Is that what it's going to take for you to wake up, huh?" Gibbs clenched his jaw so tightly that he thought it would lock in place. "Let me tell you it almost killed me not knowing if my daughter was going to be found dead or alive."

Mike stepped closer and put an arm around his wife who for once was struck dumb. They had heard all about Aimee's troubles from Jenny. Both of them had felt horrible when they heard about Makayla running away when Gibbs was already so worried about his missing daughter.

"We're very sorry for what happened to your little girl, but that has nothing to do with our daughter," replied Mike, her voice and tone softening.

Gibbs cleared his throat, pushing away the sick feeling in his gut that he felt every time he thought about those harrowing days. "Have you forgotten that Mak tried to run off to New York on her own? You're damned lucky NCIS found her—I found her— but you may not be so lucky next time. Do you know how many parents never see their kids again?"

Julia sighed. "Are you finished, Agent Gibbs? I'm trying to be patient…"

Gibbs scoffed. He was trying to get his point across, but it was more than obvious it was falling on deaf ears. If he couldn't appeal to them or shock them into a reality check, he'd have to try another approach. "Get your head out of your ass, Julia and look at what you're doing to Makayla…" Mike took an aggressive step towards him but Gibbs held out a hand to stop him. "Listen, your daughter went to art class today, and her teacher humiliated her in front of her peers by telling her she had to leave. How do you think that made her feel?"

"That was Makayla's choice. She knew I pulled from that class…" replied Julia indignantly.

"But did you tell her why? Did you explain to her why you pulled her out of a class that she is excelling in three weeks before the end of the semester? What possible reason could you have had to do that? Please enlighten me so that I can explain it to her the next time she calls me sobbing her heart out."

"She had no business calling you!" snapped Julia, "If she has a problem, she should call me. I'm her mother…" She paused to catch her breath and then sighed. "I don't have to justify myself to you."

This time Mike audibly heaved a sigh and then cleared his throat. Gibbs and Julia both turned to look at him. "And I'm her father, Julia and Agent Gibbs has a point. I don't even understand why you chose to yank Makayla from a class she loves so much."

Julia scowled at him. "Because it's her currency! It's the only thing that makes her stop and realize that we're serious. She's ruining her life, Michael. I shouldn't need to explain that to you of all people."

"Now, wait a minute. I took your side, honey, because it's the right thing to do. As parents, we have to stand unified in front of the girls, but I'd really like to know why you withdrew her from her art class? I can't help but agree with Agent Gibbs on this one; Makayla was excelling in that class…"

Julia frowned at her husband. "Since when do we need to explain our discipline choices to one other? Did I interfere when you grounded Melissa for two weeks?"

"This isn't about Melissa, Julia and that was months ago, for Pete's sake. I had every right to ground her; she lied…"

"And Makayla cheated which is much worse in my opinion, Michael! Academic dishonesty has the propensity to follow a student." Julia took a few steps away from her husband and then turned to face him. "Oh, my god, I can't believe we're even discussing this."

Gibbs took a deep breath, taking a few steps back and allowing himself to calm down. Finally, he'd accomplished getting Mike and Julia to acknowledge there was a problem. From the corner of his eye, he watched as Makayla timidly came down the stairs and freeze when she heard the quarrelling. Gibbs left Julia and Mike to argue and wandered out of the room towards Mak. She was clutching her sketchbook against her chest, tears still shimmering in her eyes.

"They're not gonna care, Agent Gibbs…" Makayla began to say but Gibbs rested a finger on her lips.

"Listen for a moment." He pointed towards her parents. "That's the first time I've heard your parents discuss anything with one another. Now is the time for you to tell them how you feel without losing your cool."

"They're not even listening to each other," she countered, shaking her head miserably.

Gibbs smiled and pulled her into a hug. "Actually, this is the first time I've heard them even come close to the heart of the issue."

Makayla allowed herself to be held for several minutes. They both listened to her parents loudly speak over top of one another. Gibbs rubbed circles on her back. "You can do this, Mackie. I know you can."

Mak pulled away. "What do I even say that I haven't already?"

Gibbs pointed at her sketchbook. "How much of that have you shared with them?"

"They've seen my work, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs lifted a brow. "Have they?" He reached for the book but Makayla pulled it away defensively.

"Yes, they have!" she insisted.

Gibbs reached for it again, forcing the young teen to relinquish it to him. He opened the sketchbook to the middle and briefly stopped to gaze at the picture staring up at him. His breath caught in his throat as he came face to face with a pencil drawing of him holding Aimee on his lap, a rare moment captured forever on paper. The serene and loving look on his face made him blink several times to hold back the emotion it elicited in him. He instantly remembered the moment. He'd been reading a book to her and she'd snuggled onto his lap. It wasn't something she did very often and he'd savoured the moment and now, to see it captured in a drawing, well, it brought tears to his eyes. He needed to remember that feeling when he finally managed to get her out of the tree back home.

"This is beautiful, Mackie," His voice sounded gravelly as he looked up at the fourteen-year-old artist standing before him. She possessed a rare talent. Being able to evoke such strong emotion in him was no easy task. He wasn't exactly one for art appreciation.

Makayla smiled, her anger dissipating as quickly as it flared up.

"They need to see this." Gibbs flipped through her sketchbook, taking in each lovingly drawn sketch, each one telling its own story, each one unique and capturing snippets of time like a professional photographer would. He saw pictures of his girls, his team, her parents and sister as well as her aunt and many other people he didn't know or recognise. Each drawing seemed to tell a story of its own.

"It won't make any difference," Makayla muttered dejectedly.

Gibbs eyed her for a moment before turning and walking back into the room. Gibbs thrust the book towards Julia, not caring that he was interrupting their conversation.

"Look at this!"

Julia looked taken aback.

Gibbs opened the book and pointed at it. "Look!"

Gibbs took a step back, waving Makayla into the room. The red-headed teen shook her head adamantly, and Gibbs saw the fight or flight look wash across her face. His hands found his hips, resting there as he cast the fourteen-year-old a stern look. He could forcibly pull her into the room but it wouldn't be the same. Makayla needed to work up the passion and courage to stand up for her own self under her own steam.

Julia took the sketchbook and tossed it onto the nearest side table. "I've seen her work, Agent Gibbs. No one is denying that she has talent. That's beside the point."

Gibbs saw an angry look wash over Makayla's face; she strode into the room and walked up to her mother. "Why?"

Julia looked taken aback. "Why what?"

"Why is having talent besides the point?"

Julia heaved a dramatically longsuffering sigh. "Makayla, we've been through this." She walked across the room and poured herself a glass of water from the minibar in the corner of the room. After taking a long drink, she turned to look at her husband and then at Gibbs before meeting Makayla's gaze once again. "Having talent and being successful are two very different things. There are talented artists all over the world and many of them are never recognised for it until after they die. You're free to pursue your hobbies once you've solidified your education goals. You're so young, sweetie. You have no idea how hard it is to survive in this world…"

Makayla groaned. "It's not just a hobby. It's my passion. You have this picture in your mind of what an artist is and it's so close-minded. Let go of the starving artist mentality! It's not helpful, nor is it reality. Mr. Easton, my art teacher said that creativity can come from all social-economic levels." Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she spoke. Her voice was quivering beneath the emotion.

Gibbs' chest filled with pride. Makayla was talking with exceptional maturity, the kind he knew she had in her. She was reaching to a higher level of herself so she could meet her mother where she was at. Julia was an intellect and had very little patience for emotional pleas. Gibbs couldn't have been more proud of Makayla at that moment. Her trembling voice gave away how frightened she was, but despite that, she remained as steady as she could.

Mike picked up Makayla's notebook and leafed through it.

"Just because I want to be an artist doesn't mean I can't make a profit from it," continued Makayla. "I'm my mother's daughter, after all. I've been paying attention to my classes enough to understand marketing. A good artist can serve her audience and not exploit it. Being more inwardly focused, artists have sensitivity for what people really want even before they realize it. It isn't pandering either; it's empathy. And the best businesses profit from it."

Gibbs' jaw dropped at Makayla's words. Not only was she meeting her mother where she was at, but she was also exceeding her.

"Innovation begins with identifying people's expectations and ends with exceeding those expectations…" she continued, wiping at her eyes as a new batch of fresh tears escaped.

"Makayla," Mike said suddenly, interrupting Makayla's speech as he walked towards her holding up the notebook. "When did you draw this?"

Makayla ignored her father and blinked back more tears as she continued staring at her mother who appeared lost in her thoughts. "Are you even listening to me, Mom?" The teen's voice began to rise again.

Gibbs recognised that the moment of maturity had come to an end, and Makayla's adolescent hormones were taking over again. He looked at Julia who was staring at her daughter in what looked like pure frustration.

Julia shook her head. "You're much too young to…"

"Julia, wait! Makayla," persisted Mike, stepping into his daughter's personal bubble. "These sketches…when did you draw them?"

Makayla blinked and looked at her father. "I…uh…" she stammered.

"When?" he demanded, catching her by the arm.

Gibbs frowned. Why was Mike so upset?

"When did you draw them? Where were you?"

The colour drained from Makayla's face. "A-at one of the consulates...umm, I think it was the last time you were home...June maybe? I don't remember exactly."

"For heaven's sake, Michael, what's going on?" asked Julia, looking as unsettled as Gibbs felt.

Mike held the book out towards Julia. "Take a look."

Julia frowned and took the book, flipping through the pages. Colour drained from her face when she stopped to look a few sketches. She looked up at her husband and covered her mouth looking shocked. "Oh, my god!"

"Mom, what's wrong?" cried Makayla, frightened to see her mother so uncharacteristically emotional.

Mike embraced his wife and looked at Gibbs. Gibbs felt a wave of confusion wash over him.

Julia put her hands on Makayla's cheeks and tipped her head up. "Please forgive me, sweetheart. I was wrong."


	16. Chapter 16

_**Hey Readers,**_

_**So, I'm one day late in posting...forgive me? **_

_**Hey, I had a turkey to cook and people to feed, not to mention the mounds of dishes. I burned my hand on my turkey cooker...nasty steam burn. Talk about pain! Then, later on, we had a campfire and the kids lit sparklers and one of the kids got a third-degree burn on his foot. Can I just say how traumatic that is for mothers? Don't worry though, the child is fine. A quick trip to the hospital...and after a nice 5-hour wait, he was all fixed up and just fine. Walking fine this morning...he was lucky it was on the side of his foot.**_

_**But all in all, it was a good weekend.**_

_**Special thanks to everyone who read my last chapter and commented: **_

_**Ancilla89, Mindless Creations (HUGS), 90TheGeneral09 (I love your long in-depth reviews and insights...thanks so much), HannaBananas13, DS2010, Llhh, Bohogal1998, Guest and Guest :) You readers are amazing!**_

_**A little creative licence was used in this chapter...I referred to Season 12, episode 14 "Cadence" but I reworked the scene between Coach Tanner and 17-year-old Tony. Warning: A little old fashioned discipline of a fictional character occurs in that scene. In my muse's defence, he DID attempt to steal a car. :$**_

_**Without further ado...enjoy!**_

Makayla leaned her head against the passenger window and closed her eyes. Words and images swam around in her head. Anger simmered with worry and disappointment. She was annoyed at herself for feeling angry but at the same time, she was exasperated at her parents. Here she was basically in the same place she was before while her parents jetted off to God knows where doing their job to save the world. Only this time, it was her fault.

_"…we simply can't explain it any further, sweetheart,"_ her father had insisted once he'd forced her to tell him all about the pictures she'd so skillfully drawn. Seemingly serious business to her parents, not because of the talent displayed but because of whom she'd depicted in the pictures. Oh, she was used to the secrecy but for a few seconds when her mother had said she was wrong, she'd had hope. Hope that her mother had heard her. It had only taken a minute for that hope to crumble into a million pieces. The admission had nothing to do with her artwork or her talent. Even now, she had no idea what her mother had meant. Everything had become skewed so quickly.

_"Are they going to believe a drawing done by a 14-year-old girl?" _ her mother had asked her father, leaving Makayla feeling belittled and wondering who _'they__'_ were.

_"How else would an American teenager get the opportunity to sketch those men together? She wouldn't have had a clue who they were or what they were doing," _her father had answered, leaving Makayla unsure if her father was angry with her or what. The man was always secretive and allusive when it came to his work. No matter how much she wanted to understand, her parents were always so cryptic, making her feel like a stupid little kid. She'd tried so hard to operate at the same level as them…and she'd exhausted herself trying…using every ounce of her energy to stay calm and collected as she explained how she felt. The hard-earned moment had vanished into vapor before her eyes and she'd been too taken off guard to react. They expected her to understand; after all, her problems were so unimportant on the scale of terrorism, right?

_"You might have single-handedly saved the United States from a terrorist attack," _her father had attempted to explain as he rushed around the room gathering paperwork, dropping the information like it was supposed to mean something to her. At the same time, he'd somehow made her feel like she was too young to understand the real ramifications of the issue. Admittedly, she'd been shocked by the word terrorism. She'd had no idea the men she'd drawn could have been conspiring against the United States. She hadn't been able to hear anything of the conversation from her vanish point. She'd purposely hidden like she always did when she wanted to capture expressions. Real emotions only could be captured when people were drawn unaware. It was that realism that she knew would someday make her successful.

Makayla wiped a tear from her cheek and chewed on her bottom lip. She always wanted to understand what her parents did. She only knew that her parents worked for the United States government, operating behind the scenes on highly classified political and legal cases. She knew how important it was to national security but just once she wanted to feel more important. And she was so irritated at herself for feeling that way

.

XxXxNCISxXx

X

Gibbs pulled his truck into the driveway and turned to look at Makayla, her head still resting against the window. She hadn't spoken a word since they'd left her house. He didn't know what he'd expected…questions or even rage but her eerie silence was unsettling. Her parents had quickly sent Makayla from the room to explain the situation to him. He'd been shocked to hear some of the details. Michael couldn't share everything but Gibbs had enough government clearance at NCIS that they were able to share enough. Gibbs understood their hands were tied and that they had no choice but to act fast. His head spun at how quickly the conversation had spiralled from Makayla's problems at school to international terrorism. Julia and Michael's ire towards him had faded so quickly, he could have had whiplash. One minute they were trying to kick him to the curb and the next they were asking him to be Makayla's temporary guardian, saying they trusted him to make the right decisions for her well-being in their absence. He understood they had no choice.

"Will they be okay, Agent Gibbs?" Makayla's voice broke through his thoughts.

Gibbs managed a small smile. "Your dad told you not to worry, didn't he?"

She slowly nodded, turning to look at him with tears still shimmering on her cheeks. "Thanks for letting me stay with you."

He smiled and nodded. The truth was he was glad she was staying with him. Her parents were doing a crappy job of things where Makayla was concerned. They'd given him permission to handle things how he saw fit. He planned to do just that. It was definitely going to be a little dicey at first while he set some ground rules but in the end, he knew things would work out. "I'm proud of you kiddo," he said, patting her leg.

He was. She'd articulated herself so well and had the conversation not taken the direction it did, he was sure Mak would have been able to convince her parents to allow her to stay in her art class. After Makayla had explained herself, even he understood where she was coming from. Makayla had given her future a lot of thought, certainly more thought than he ever did at her age. She deserved the opportunity to explore her dreams.

Makayla sniffed. "None of it matters, Agent Gibbs. We didn't even solve anything and I'm a horrible person because I'm mad we didn't."

Gibbs reached out and wiped a tear away with his thumb. "C'mere." Makayla scooted over and Gibbs wrapped an arm around her. "You're not a horrible person. You're a kid who has a lot going on in her life, but you've got this." He pulled away and tipped up her chin so they were eye to eye. "You trust me?"

She nodded.

"Okay, then you and me are gonna figure this out together, okay?"

Makayla swallowed and nodded again. "Is Aunt Jenny gonna be mad that I'm staying with you?"

Gibbs smiled. He was positive that Jenny would be more relieved than anything else. He knew Jenn was uncomfortable making decisions that might overstep her sister. Julia Wallace was a bull in a china shop and she didn't care who she trampled along her path; things were Julia's way or the highway. "Nah, she'll have her hands full enough with your sister. Think Melissa is gonna like staying with Jenn?" It had been Michael who suggested that Melissa stay with Jenn for the holidays. Gibbs hadn't thought to split the girls up over Christmas was such a good idea, but Julia seemed to think it was best for everyone considering the girls seem to argue so much.

Makayla shrugged. "Missy has so many friends at school; she'll probably just stay on campus in the dorms. Unlike me, she has friends."

"Hey, you've got friends."

Makayla shook her head. "Not really. People put up with me at Xavier, Agent Gibbs. No one much cares if I'm still around or not. More than likely they're all crossing their fingers that the Headmaster boots me out this time. All any of them care about is Xavier being number one, and they don't look kindly on anyone tarnishing that reputation." She shrugged and picked at her thumb sadly. "I don't even care to go back anyway. I hate it there."

Gibbs pulled her into a hug again. "I know you care more than you're letting on, Mak."

The two of them sat like that for several minutes before Gibbs pulled away. He cupped her chin in his hand. "You know you have to go back to school tomorrow and face the consequences, right?"

Tears welled up her eyes and her lower lip trembled. She attempted to pull away, but Gibbs held firmly to her chin.

"You took off…"

"Only because…"

Gibbs slid his thumb to rest on her lips. "You handled it wrong and you know it."

She blinked but stayed quiet.

"I meant what I said earlier to you. You might not enjoy staying here in the beginning. You're in a whole world of trouble with me over this running away business."

"Gibbs," she whined through his thumb.

Gibbs released her chin. "But," he said loudly over her voice, "I'm going to get you back in your class."

Makayla's eyes brightened at his words. "Really?"

"Really," he said with a smirk. And he meant it. Having her removed from her favourite class three weeks before the end of the semester had been a low blow, even for Julia. Makayla definitely needed discipline, but Julia had missed the mark by a long shot. Gibbs had something else in mind.

Makayla threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Oh, thank you, Agent Gibbs! You have no idea what this means to me. I've already completed more than half of my culminating task for that class. It's going to be amazing!" Her excited voice filled the cab, and he could feel the tension in her body ebb.

Gibbs pulled her in closer and pressed a kiss on top of her auburn head. She was a good kid underneath all the angst and drama. If he could take away all the pressure from her parents to conform to something she wasn't, he would lay money on the fact that she'd never get into any trouble. Makayla was focussed and even-keeled. He intended to prove that to her parents too.

After a few minutes, Gibbs pushed her gently away and looked into her sparkling green eyes. He couldn't help but smile when he saw the glint of joy igniting once again. It was that spark that had drawn him to her the first time he'd met her. So much like how he'd imagined Jenn to be at that age; it was uncanny. It made his heart skip a beat with joy. It was how it should be for a kid. To be filled with dreams and hopes for the future. And it almost waylaid him from becoming the heavy he needed to be once more. As much as he wanted her to be happy, he needed to deal with some behaviours first. He needed to get a strong message across, and Makayla needed to understand there were consequences for poor choices. Her parents had missed the mark in teaching that lesson. "Don't get too happy just yet. You and I need to have a discussion about running away from school."

Makayla's face fell once more. "What kind of discussion?"

"I think you know exactly what kind," he stated matter-of-factly. He saw the young teen's eyes widen and then her chin dropped. He hated to see that foreboding look flood her face, but at the same time, he knew that they were on the same page.

As much as he wanted to work things through with Makayla right now, he had a more pressing matter he needed to attend to first before the evening was through. It was getting dark and Aimee's safety was weighing on him. He'd handle that first and then he'd be more ready to deal with Makayla. They had a lot to discuss, but Gibbs felt positive that returning Makayla back to her favourite class at school was the most sensible decision he could make.

"We'll talk some more about this later, but right now, I really need to rescue a cat out of my tree."

Makayla frowned and looked at him oddly. "A cat? I didn't know you had a cat."

Gibbs chuckled and got out of the truck, grabbing Makayla's suitcase from the back. Makayla followed and the two of them walked towards the front door. "It's a long story and you look like you could use a nap…go crash in my room for a while and we'll talk later."

"Is Riley here?"

Gibbs smirked. "Yah, he's here."

Makayla blushed and took off inside the house

.

XxXxNCISxXx

X

Tony popped a handful of popcorn into his mouth, chewing tentatively before turning to look at Riley. Riley was staring out into space, making Tony wonder what he was thinking. Tony had just begun to share his story about his run-in with his coach. It wasn't a story he was proud of and he hadn't shared it with many people, other than Gibbs and that had been a long time ago when he'd been drunk and had let his guard down. He knew if he'd have reported his coach, the man could have been charged with assault for what he'd done that night. But deep down, Tony knew he'd deserved it. He tried to steal the coach's car and run away from RMA; the coach reaction had been the catalyst that turned her whole line of thinking around. Even now, all these years later, it was still imprinted in his mind. Someone had actually cared enough about him to risk his career and position. Somehow, even back then, Tony understood the risk his coach had taken for him. The wrong kid could have brought Coach Tanner's whole world tumbling down around him.

"Gibbs cares about you, Riley and it's not out of obligation either. He genuinely cares." Tony turned to look Riley in the eye. "Look, the night I skipped practice, I had a giant size chip on my shoulder. I was hell-bent on getting kicked out of Remington. I snuck out and tried to hotwire my coach's car.

Riley's eyes grew wide as saucers, "Shit, you did not! What happened?"

"I got caught; that's what happened. Coach Tanner came looking for me and found me in his car. Caught red-handed and I tried to blame the Honor Corps for harassing me, but my coach saw through my bullshit. It was a cop-out. The coach wouldn't have ever let them touch me and I knew it. The only person responsible for my screw-ups was me. I blamed my old man; hell, I even blamed my mother for dying." Tony scoffed at the memory. To this day, he still felt bad about those thoughts. "It was everyone else's fault but mine. That night, Coach Tanner showed me that he cared enough to correct my stinking thinking and _that_ set me on the right path."

_Tony spun on his heel and glared at his basketball coach. What the hell just happened? He shifted his weight from his left foot to his right foot several times and clenched his fists to his side._

_ "You can lie to yourself all you want, Tony, but at the end of the day, the only person responsible for your decisions is you. Got it?"_

_ Tears burned in the back of Tony's eyes. "Got to hell!" he snapped at the man. _

_ Coach Tanner narrowed his eyes at him. "Careful. I'd keep my voice down if I were you. Never know who might be lurking around the parking lot."_

_ Tony's eyes searched the darkness of the parking lot. He puffed out his cheeks and grew very quiet, listening to the sounds around him. The coach was right. If anyone saw this exchange, he'd never be able to show his face around the campus again. What was worse, he couldn't say anything about it. He'd attempted to steal the man's car. Pretty sure that was a felony. Plenty of 17 years olds were tried as adults for things like that. _

_ "You don't know me." Tony hissed much quieter. "What the hell right do you have to lay a hand on me? My father will sue your ass…"_

_ The coach lifted a brow that Tony just barely made out under the dim light of the moon. "Well then, I guess I might as well make it worth my while." The large black man caught Tony by the arm, braced his foot on the door sill of his car and yanked him over his upright knee._

_ Tony cursed under his breath._

_ "There's always going to be people like Golan, and groups like Honor Corps. Are you going to spend your whole life blaming them for your problems?"_

_ While tears of frustration brimmed his eyes, Tony clenched his teeth against the childish assault reigning down on him. The coach had lost his ever-loving mind and Tony planned to make him pay dearly. His father might have been a piece of shit but there was no way Senior would stand by and have anyone else hit his kid. He had his pride after all. "You're a son of a bitch!" he screamed at the man, reaching back to try and preserve what was left of his dignity._

_ Coach Tanner caught his hand, snugged it against his back and continued the ministrations to Tony's already roasted nether regions. "Yah, well, you're a starter on the varsity basketball team now, and I take care of my guys. You belong here, damn it, and I plan to make sure you toe the line and graduate. This is a good school, DiNozzo and you belong in it; you're a good kid! Take a stand and I'll stand with you."_

_ Tony choked back a sob. Since when did he belong anywhere? The coach was an idiot to believe he was a 'good' anything._

_ "Take responsibility for yourself, Tony," the man continued, punctuating his words as he spoke. "Stop blaming everyone else for your mistakes."_

_ "It's self-preservation!" Tony choked out. Although, with the coach's large leathery hand coming down with such force, he was beginning to think he'd underestimated what he was preserving, and then, a particularly hard blow landed in a more sensitive area, knocking off any shred of inhibition he had left. He dissolved into sobs._

_ "I take care of my guys, Tony," the coach reiterated. Those final words brought the event to a blessed end, and Tony found himself upright on his feet once again. He looked at Coach Tanner through tear-filled eyes, and he saw something he hadn't seen in a long time, not since his mother died. Love and compassion. The coach stuck a finger in his face. "You're worth it, Tony, and I'll be damned if I'm going to sit idly by and let you believe otherwise."_

_ Tony swiped at the tears streaming down his face._

_ The man leaned into his car, pulled down the sun visor and caught the keys that fell into his hand. He stood up and tossed the keys in Tony's direction. "If you decide to leave, don't hot wire my car."_

Riley was silent for a moment then sighed loudly. "Damn. I can't even imagine."

Tony smirked, "Yah, you can't and you might not need to if you don't get your act together."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Gibbs is a lot like my coach. He doesn't care about what other people think either. Gibbs does what he feels is right. Status quo and legalities be damned. My coach took a huge risk on me. I could have ruined him."

Riley chewed his bottom lip, pondering Tony's words and muttered. His expression was unsettling. "Why didn't you?"

Tony blinked. "I dunno. I guess it felt nice that someone actually cared enough about me to risk everything. I was so tired of running and fighting my battles on my own. Hell, I was 17 years old and all I'd ever done was run away. The funny thing about running, Riley, is that when you stop, you discover that you can't run away from yourself. Gibbs is giving you a second chance to just kick back and be a kid. Trust him, and trust him with Makayla too."

Riley leaned back in his chair and set his bowl of popcorn on the ground. Tony could tell the teen was thinking hard about what he'd shared. It was a lot to process. As much as it was hard for Tony to share, it was equally as difficult for Riley to understand.

Hearing a gate from behind them open and close, Tony and Riley both stood to their feet when they saw Gibbs wander into the back yard. Riley was caught off guard with his emotions so unstable. He quickly scrubbed a hand through his hair and over his face to collect himself.

Gibbs puffed out his cheeks when he saw Aimee still perched high in the tree. "I thought you were gonna get her down from there, DiNozzo."

Tony shrugged, unfazed by Gibbs' apparent irritation. "Did my best, Boss."

"Is Makayla okay?" asked Riley, searching Gibbs' face for anything that would give him insight into how things when down with Mak and her parents.

Gibbs managed a smile. "Why don't you ask her yourself? She's inside."

Riley's mouth dropped open. "Here? Why?"

"It's a long story. You okay?"

Riley eyed Gibbs closely, as if debating if the man was anything like Tony's basketball coach at RMA then slowly nodded. "Yah, yah, I'm good. Can I go see Mak?"

Gibbs nodded and Riley took off running towards the back door.

Tony grabbed Riley's lawn chair, folding it together. "Everything okay, Gibbs?"

"It's complicated." Gibbs frowned at Tony. "Riley seemed a little skittish. Is he alright?"

Tony ran a hand through his dark hair. "Yah, about that, I might have shared a little story about my run-in with Coach Tanner."

Gibbs inhaled deeply. "I see." Gibbs took a second to digest that information. "I trust you had a reason to do that?"

"Do you trust me, Boss?"

Gibbs looked into his protégé's emerald green eyes. "With my life." He meant it.

"Give him some time to think about it."

Gibbs nodded.

Tony rested the chair against his thigh and pulled out the switchblade that Aimee had given him, handing it to Gibbs. Gibbs took it, fingering the weapon thoughtfully. He looked up into his tree to see that Aimee was more than 10 feet above his painted boundary. "I guess I need to have a chat with her."

Tony chuckled. "Good luck with that. It's been hours and the little manipulator hasn't moved a muscle. Didn't even seem phased by the smell of popcorn."

Gibbs held a hand over his eyes to shield the brightest of the sun setting. Aimee was sitting motionless, leaning against the trunk of the tree. Just enough leaves had fallen that he was able to see her plainly. Gibbs took the chair leaning against Tony's thigh. "Got any more popcorn?"

Tony smirked and nodded. "Got plenty."

The two men sat down and continued to eat popcorn in silence

.

XxXxNCISxXx

X

Gibbs glanced at his watch, pressing the button on the side to illuminate it. It was dark now and Tony had long since left to go home with a promise to check in on Abby for him.

"You gonna sleep up there?" he said loudly into the darkness.

No answer greeted him.

"Getting cold…might drop below freezing tonight."

Aimee remained silent.

Gibbs stood up and folded his chair. "Well, I'm cold and tired…thinking a bowl of warm soup might be nice. Do you want any?"

The stubborn child in the tree didn't utter a word in response.

Gibbs sighed. "Okay. Have it your way. I'm going in. Goodnight, Aimee."

Gibbs began to carry the lawn chairs towards the garage when he heard a loud sob and a shout.

"Daddy! Wait…"

Gibbs turned towards the tree. He couldn't make out her shadow any longer. It was too dark to discern much except the dark form of a tree. "Yes, Aimee?"

"It's dark."

"Yup, it is."

"I can't see."

"I'll get a flashlight."

And he did. Walking back out into the yard, he shivered in the night air. He wasn't wearing much more than a dress jacket and shirt. Leaving the warmth of the lawn chair had made him realise just how cold it had gotten over the past few hours. He'd used the time to think about Riley, Makayla and Aimee. He'd had a lot to figure out. He used to think solving naval crimes was complicated and it was, but it was nothing compared to parenting. He'd always appreciated his job at NCIS, but somehow what he was doing now felt so much more significant. What he was doing was making a difference.

He pointed the flashlight up the tree, giving Aimee ample light. He watched as the little girl maneuvered her way down the tree with agile dexterity. He took a few steps closer as she reached the net and jumped into it. He watched as the net bounced her small body a few times and then rested. Aimee lay still for a moment before rolling onto her belly and looking Gibbs in the eye.

"Am I in trouble?"

Gibbs bit back a smirk. Leave it to a kid to ask such a question. He reached over the net, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her towards him. He planted a kiss on her forehead. "What do you think?" he asked.

She shivered and shrugged. "I think I need to pee."

Gibbs smirked and pulled her the rest of the way out of the net, setting her feet to the ground. He captured her by the arm before she could run off into the house. "Plant that little butt of yours on the sofa when you're finished. We need to talk. Now, scoot." He propelled her towards the house with a firm swat to the backside. The smack echoed in the cool night air. His hand stung enough for him to realise that the swat had connected quite firmly. Aimee, to her credit, didn't complain but disappeared into the house without a word. Gibbs looked up into the night sky thinking he'd been lucky that she'd come down. He honestly hadn't known how he would be able to get her down. Bluffing about leaving her had worked but he sure didn't know what he would have done if it hadn't

.

XxXxNCISxXx

X

Gibbs walked around the house, breathing in the night air hoping it would clear his head and give him discernment. Once he reached the back porch, he opened up the back door and shivered in the warmth of the room. He glanced longingly at the doorway to the basement. What he wouldn't have given to escape down there for the evening and get lost in sawdust and bourbon. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had time to do that. He filled the tea kettle and switched it on thinking a cup of camomile tea would help take the edge off of what he knew was forthcoming. This part of parenting really sucked.

He heard feet on the steps so he knew Aimee was making her way back downstairs. First things first; he'd make some tea. If he was lucky, he'd have an hour to himself that evening once everyone was tucked in for the night. He had a feeling he was going to need some solitude.

Pouring his tea, he absentmindedly stirred in some honey, playing out a scenario or two in his mind. He never knew why he bothered to do that since things almost never happened the way his mind envisioned it.

Suddenly, the redheaded fireball burst into the kitchen. "I didn't lie, Gibbs," she stated boldly, looking at him wide-eyed. "I just didn't tell you first. That's not a crime you know."

Gibbs leaned his elbows on the counter, peering at her in interest. "Well, I seem to remember asking you to show me what you were hiding but you were awfully determined to keep it a secret from me. Why is that?"

"I didn't lie," she insisted.

Gibbs leaned his chin in his hands, a whiff of his tea keeping him calm.

"Okay…why'd you climb past the boundaries painted on the tree…" he asked interested to know how she was going to justify her way out of that one.

"They're unrealistic. I can climb way higher than that plus you set up a net. I couldn't get hurt even if I jumped from the top of your old tree," she said without missing a beat.

Gibbs lifted a brow, feeling slighted amused by her explanation. If she wasn't in so much trouble with him, he would have laughed out loud. She'd make one hell of a politician. Gibbs straightened up and walked around the counter. "So, my little warning outside did nothing?"

Aimee's eyes widened and took a step back. "W-what do you mean?"

"Did you forget already? I thought it had some weight behind it but maybe I was wrong."

Aimee swallowed, dropping her chin.

Gibbs crossed his arms. "I pretty sure you know where this conversation is headed but in case you're holding out hope, let me assure you that you're in big trouble, young lady." The words allowed a deja vu moment to wash over him; it seemed to him that he'd had a similar conversation years ago with another little girl standing in same spot. The memory faded as quickly as it came.

Aimee's shoulders drooped and Gibbs was glad to see it. He was not relishing getting into a shouting match with her. As much as he was prepared for one, it wasn't something he wanted. Aimee dropped her gaze to the floor looking deflated and after a minute he relented. Seeing her less combative made it easier to be compassionate. He dropped his hands to his side.

He sighed. "Sit down and I'll make you a hot chocolate."

She did, all the while keeping a sharp eye on him. Eventually, he set the mug down in front of her and she cupped her cold hands around it.

"What are you gonna do?" she asked quietly, a small pout on her lips.

Gibbs sat down opposite her, cupping his own mug thoughtfully. "Tell me where you picked up the knife."

She sighed. "Do I hafta tell you?"

Gibbs scowled at her.

Aimee swallowed. "At the park."

"What park?"

She sucked in her bottom lip and Gibbs recognised the nervous reaction. She was trying to hide something from him. "You know, the park me and Nessie play at."

Gibbs reached into his pocket and set the weapon on the table. He opened the switchblade, the gleaming metal catching the light. "Indulge me and tell me the name of the park."

Gibbs lifted a brow as he watched the inner struggle going on in his daughter's little head. It was all beginning to make sense now. His hopes and dreams for a safe neighbourhood weren't dashed after all. She hadn't found it at any park near their house. She'd taken her five-year-old sister on a field trip and found another less savory area to play. Well, his little risk-taker was about to find out exactly what he thought about unauthorized field trips.

She gulped and squirmed on her chair.

"Let me save you the trouble of thinking up a lie. You didn't find it at McAllister's park, did you?"

"Not exactly," she mumbled.

"Aimee Gibbs! Are you telling me that you took your five-year sister to another park by yourself?"

Her head popped up, "I didn't mean to. We got lost!"

Gibbs stood to his feet and stared ominously down at Aimee. He knew it wasn't exactly good parenting to tower over a kid but he was so unamused at that moment, he didn't even care. She was lying to him. "Where exactly were you?"

Her breathe came out as a shudder. "Okay. Okay. Mount Pleasant," she squeaked.

Gibbs pinched his nose. Hard. Mount Pleasant was probably one of the worst areas in D.C outside of Anacostia. Not to mention it was a long-distance from his safe neighbourhood. "How did you even get there?" He was hard-pressed to hide his bewilderment.

Her bottom lip quivered. "B-by bus."

Gibbs' heart pulse pounded in his ear. "Bus?"

Aimee nodded.

Gibbs blinked. He was without words except he had a million questions like when, how and why to name a few, yet he couldn't get his mouth to form one.

"We were at the park and saw this dog. Jared Presley said the dog took the bus to the park everyday…" Aimee began to explain. Gibbs sat down again. It was sit down or fall down at this point. His knees were trembling. "The bus came to the bus stop and the driver let the dog on. I dunno why but I just needed to know where he lived, so I grabbed Janessa and we got on the bus too."

Gibbs took a deep inhalation. "Let me guess. The dog got off at Mount Pleasant." He was impressed his voice sounded so even and calm.

She nodded. "Yah."

"So instead of calling me, you went to the park?" he asked incredulously.

"The bus stopped at the park." Gibbs saw the gleam of excitement in her eyes at this point in the story. "You should see that park, Gibbs. They have one of those merry-go-rounds where people run in a circle to spin you around. I almost puked but it was so fun!"

Gibbs swallowed, forcing down any emotion. "Where did you find the knife?"_ Focus on getting the details,_ he told himself.

"The girl's bathroom. It was sitting on top of the toilet paper dispenser in the stall I used."

Gibbs mentally took stock of the last time his girls took a bath or a shower. His stomach churned threatening to expel what little tea he had ingested. How could he not have noticed that the girls were gone so long? When did it happen? Where was he?

"How did you get home?"

She made a face. "We took the bus back. Geez, Gibbs, I'm not dumb, ya know."

Gibbs reached out and took her firmly by the arm, pulling her in close to him. "Aimee Gibbs, everything about that little adventure was dumb! Anything could have happened to you! And I can't believe you took Janessa with you!" Gibbs shook her and stared into her alarmed blue eyes. Then after a beat, he narrowed his eyes at her. It dawned on him that Janessa hadn't said one word. Janessa always told him everything. She couldn't keep a secret if she tried. Why hadn't his little blonde blabbermouth told him about their little field trip? "Did you threaten Janessa not to tell me?"

Aimee fidgeted and then looked down at the floor.

Gibbs closed his eyes as his temper flared. _Count to ten, man. Don't lose your cool. One, two, three, four, five, six…"_

"I'm sorry, daddy," Aimee whimpered, the colour draining from her face.

_Seven, eight, nine, ten…nope, counting isn't working. Breathe…just breathe._

Gibbs cupped her chin in his hand. He was speechless. He had a hundred things he wanted to say to her, yet he couldn't organize a single one. He rubbed his thumb on her cheek, tears burning at the back of his eyes. It was so much worse than he'd expected. He'd thought he'd be reprimanding her for hiding the weapon from him and climbing past his boundary line; instead, it was so much worse.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Hello Readers!**_

_**Finally, a quiet day to edit and drop another chapter on fanfiction for you.**_

_**Special thanks to all my reviewers. **_

_**This was a hard chapter to write. Riley is struggling hard with some inner thoughts and Gibbs is well aware of it. Gibbs is trying to deal with so many things and he's being challenged to look at things through Riley's eyes. It's changing how he handles things. Lots of adjustments for everyone.**_

_**Small warning...some hands-on discipline is bestowed upon some errant fictional children in this chapter...but I promise it's not that bad. Gibbs does not have it in him and neither does the author. **_

_**Without further ado...**_

Gibbs disconnected the call, setting his phone on the kitchen table with a chuckle. He didn't know if he should be more irritated or amused by the city transit commission in D.C. He never would have imagined that an animal would be able to use city transit but apparently, it could. The person that he had spoken with said that the dog had a bus pass on his collar, had all his shots and was deemed safe for travel. Apparently, a family had asked special permission for their pet to travel between homes after the family unit was broken by separation. Gibbs was dumbfounded. Evidently, the dog had been on the news months ago and everyone else in DC knew about it but him.

"Hey, did ya get the twerp outta the tree?"

Yanked from his thoughts, Gibbs looked up to see Riley come up the stairs from the basement. "Yah, I got her down."

Riley held up a screwdriver. "Do you mind if I borrow it?"

Gibbs relaxed his shoulders and nodded. "Sure…anything I can help you with?" He didn't like the girls down in his workspace without permission, but he trusted Riley. The teenager rarely showed that much interest anyway. He would have liked to pass his love of woodworking onto the boy, but he figured he had a lot of time. He supposed it was just a matter of time before he would need to ground the boy for something and having a partner in woodworking would be a perfect way to tie heartstrings with a wayward teen with a chip on his shoulder.

Riley set the screwdriver on the counter and walked to the fridge. Opening it, he grabbed the milk and took a large gulp out of the container. "Nah, just need to replace a screw on my desk chair."

Gibbs strode across the kitchen to the cupboard and handed Riley a glass with a smirk. Riley returned the smirk and sheepishly took the glass, filling it to the brim. "How'd you get her down? Tony tried everything. I coulda got her down, but apparently Tony didn't like the idea of me tossing her into the net."

Gibbs raised a brow in amusement. "Yah, probably not the best of ideas."

Riley laughed.

"Did you find Mak?"

Riley's face grew serious. "She's sleeping in your room. I didn't want to disturb her. What's up with that, Agent Gibbs? Why's she here?"

Gibbs sighed. "I think Makayla should tell you but suffice to say that she's going to be staying here for a while. With that being said, I think you and I need to set some ground rules."

Riley rolled his eyes, reached for the nearest chair and straddled it. "She's a kid…"

Gibbs leaned against the counter. "Yep, a pretty kid and don't roll your eyes. I see how you look at her. I'm not blind and neither is she. You forget I was sixteen once too." Gibbs couldn't miss the blush that crept across Riley's cheeks. It had become more and more obvious how much Riley and Mak had grown to like each other. They could deny their feelings all they wanted but the more astute adults in their lives needed to put safety nets in place. "As long as Mak is staying here, upstairs if off limits to you without permission or another adult upstairs. Got it?"

Riley heaved an annoyed groan. "Agent Gibbs…"

"Ry, don't make me get all Marine gunny on you." The threat in Gibbs' voice was clear. "I catch you breaking that rule and you're not going to like the consequences. Your room is down here, and you have a full bathroom. There's no reason to go upstairs."

Riley puffed out his cheeks. "Fine, whatever."

Gibbs nodded. He didn't like being the heavy but he needed to be realistic with two teenagers in the house. Adolescent hormones could be hard enough to deal with on a good day; add emotional attachments to that and they could all end up down a dangerous path. "Thank-you." He sighed. Now he needed to deal with another matter. Aimee.

As if following Gibbs' train of thought, Riley said, "Where's Aimee? Did you kill her and hide the body?"

Gibbs frowned, and said in all seriousness, "Not yet."

Riley's eyes widened, "Geez, Gibbs, chill. It's not like the kid killed someone or something. She just climbed past your boundaries…"

Gibbs chewed his lower lip thoughtfully. His gut was churning as he thought about what he felt compelled to do. As much as he'd been avoiding physically disciplining his girls around Riley, he felt like his hands were tied. He needed to give Aimee a very clear message. What she'd done was very dangerous. It wasn't climbing past boundaries or trying to hide the knife that concerned him most, albeit, those things needed to be dealt with as well; it was taking five-year-old Janessa across town on her own without permission. Gibbs felt a cold shiver crawl up his spine. And the fact that Aimee threatened Janessa to keep her quiet did not sit well with him at all. He could not sit by and allow that to just be okay. Aimee needed a very clear consequence.

"Riley," Gibbs could see the dark-haired teenager searching his face. He was fairly certain Riley wasn't going to take long to figure out where he was heading, and he was really hoping to avoid the outcome he was expecting. "She threatened Janessa and I can't let that slide…" Gibbs could feel the temperature in the room drop as he went on to explain Aimee's escapades. It was important that Riley understand that he wasn't just making any decisions lightly.

Riley took a deep breath. "You're gonna hit her, aren't you?" Riley ground out the words in disgust.

"Riley," Gibbs said softly. "If it was just about hiding the knife from me or climbing past boundaries in the tree, things might be different but it's not. Aimee needs to know that she can't bully her sister. It's not the first time and it would be remiss of me to just let it go with a few stern words and a hug."

Riley stood to his feet. "Hitting her isn't going to change anything! You're an idiot if you think it will!" He went to storm from the room but Gibbs caught him by the arm.

"Riley, hitting and spanking are two different things."

Riley yanked his arm away. "Keep telling yourself that!" Riley stalked to the outer door and threw it open.

"Where are you going?" asked Gibbs, frustration in his voice. The last thing he needed was Riley taking off on him too. He already had enough on his plate.

"None of your business!" Riley shouted at him as stormed out of the room.

"Damn it," muttered Gibbs.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Riley slammed the door behind him and stalked out into the darkness of the evening. The stars were bright enough that he could see his breath, making him regret that he hadn't grabbed his jacket on the way out. He cursed and headed towards Janessa and Aimee's treehouse. His ropes and carabiner clips were still piled on the ground where he'd left them, so he stooped to pick them up. His head pounded at his temples forcing him to sit on the ground and lean against the thick trunk of the tree. He needed to calm down. Why did he care so much how Gibbs handled things with his kids? It was none of his business and besides, nothing he said or did was going to mean a hill of beans to the man. The guy's mind was already made up. Period. End of story. The only trouble was Riley did care. A lot and it pissed him off that Gibbs would resort to hitting.

"Riley."

Riley groaned and pulled his knees up to his chin. "Can't you take a hint? Leave me alone!"

Gibbs stood above him holding his jacket towards him like a peace offering. Riley grimaced in annoyance but accepted it. The cold air was helping to calm him down, so he'd begun to shiver. Riley put his jacket on but refused to look at Gibbs.

Gibbs sat beside him.

"What do you think I should do?" asked Gibbs, acquiesce in his voice.

Riley rested his chin on his knees and shrugged. "I dunno, but I think there has to be a better way than hitting."

Gibbs was silent a moment then said, "A couple nights ago, Tim drove into my laneway and almost hit Janessa…"

Riley's jaw dropped as he turned to look at Gibbs. "Wait…what?"

Riley's mind flashed to a week ago. He'd pulled into the driveway to see Janessa run towards him. He narrowly missed hitting her with Gibbs' truck. He'd been so frightened that he ended up yelling at her and reducing her to tears.

"She ran out in front of his car just like she did with you, only this time, Tim didn't see her until it was almost too late. Thankfully, he caught sight of her from the corner of his eye at the last second."

Riley frowned. His heart still thumped in his chest thinking about what could have happened.

"She didn't do it yesterday when I came home. She sat on the porch and waited until I came to her. I even praised her for it."

Gibbs nodded. "I'm glad to hear that. That means my lesson counted for something."

Riley's eyes narrowed. "You hit her?"

"No, I spanked her, and I promised her another if she didn't sit and wait on the porch from now on. I'd much rather be the cause of a little pain now than to see her hurt or dead, Riley. Can you understand that?"

Riley chewed on his bottom lip as he fought an internal battle. He was never going to forget how he felt when he realized he could have hit and possibly killed Janessa. He'd fiercely scolded her until she cried before taking her to Gibbs. He'd been so angry at her and thought that his frightened anger had gotten through to her.

"I'm not a perfect parent, Rye. I'm betting there are 100s, if not 1000s, of better parents than me out there, but I do the best I can. I extend grace and bend over backwards teaching lessons that reinforce the positive when I can, but Riley, I can't do that when it's this serious. Maybe I'm a terrible parent but the very fact that Ness remembered to sit on the porch when you drove in yesterday tells me I got my message across loud and clear and that's good enough for me."

Riley rocked his chin back and forth on his knees and groaned.

"I know you're struggling with this and I'm sorry…"

Gibbs had no idea how much he was struggling with this. His ole man didn't care what he did. Good or bad, the drunkard smacked him around. It was never about teaching a lesson or trying to keep him safe from danger. Damn it, why couldn't Janessa just listen to reason. Why did she have to go and run out in front of Tim's car? Scolding her should have been enough.

Riley lifted his chin defiantly and looked at Gibbs. "What would you have done if she was my age?"

"You're old enough to know better."

"There has to be some other way…"

"Then you tell me!"

"I don't know, damn it!" Riley shouted at him.

Riley felt his heart hammering against his ribcage and his pulse pounding in his ear. Tears pricked the back of his eyes. There had to be another way because if there wasn't then that meant he deserved every beating his father ever gave him.

"Riley, I am never going to hit you," Gibbs stated softly.

Riley felt his temper rise. "We're not talking about me, damn it!"

"Yah, Riley, we are. Every time we talk about this, we're talking about you."

Riley jumped to his feet and turned to face Gibbs. Gibbs remained sitting and leaned his head against the base of the tree looking weary. The older man looked less threatening and more transparent sitting in the moonlight. Riley closed his eyes and brought up images of his father from days past. A ghost of a whiff of alcohol touched his senses making him cringe from the memories. He felt like he was going to come unglued and he hated feeling this way.

"Did Tony tell you what his coach did to him?"

Despite the darkness, Riley was able to make out Gibbs' discernible nod.

"And lemme guess, you think that's okay?"

"It doesn't matter what I think. It's Tony's story to tell, Rye, and for whatever reason, his coach felt that was what Tony needed."

Riley's nostrils flared at the words. "That's such bullshit. No one needs that!"

Gibbs rose to his feet and placed a warm hand on his shoulder. "From what Tony told me, that event changed him. He started caring about school after being kicked out of six boarding schools; he joined the basketball team; he graduated summa cum laude from Remington Academy and went on to excel in University. I'm not saying that he couldn't have done those things without getting his ass handed to him because he definitely could have, but the question is would he have? That I don't know, but what's important here is what Tony took from it. Tony said that having someone care about him enough to risk his entire career spoke volumes to him and who are we to disagree?"

Riley felt tears burning in the back of his eyes. He didn't know what to think. He really didn't.

Gibbs cupped Riley's cheek for a moment before patting it gently and heading back inside.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs peeked into his room to see Makayla sound asleep. He rested his hand on the doorframe and watched the auburn-haired girl stir; even in sleep, she didn't look peaceful. Her jaw was tight and her fists were clenched at her face. Gibbs' heart went out to her. Nothing had been resolved for her. Instead, her parents had run off to save the world once again, leaving her behind with her world still spinning out of control. Gibbs sighed. He hadn't signed up to be the sun, moon and stars to Makayla yet here he was. He couldn't continue to leave her world in shambles. Come what may, he would be damned if he didn't set things right. He sure as hell didn't have the same ideas as Julia Wallace. He was a simple man, one of the reasons that his girls would never set foot in a private school, military or otherwise. He couldn't stomach that life and he would never subject his kids to it. Gibbs entered his room and reached for a quilt resting on the chair in the corner. He proceeded to cover Makayla and brushed a kiss across her cheek. She stirred enough to release her clenched jaw but didn't awaken. Gibbs brushed a hand over her forehead.

"We'll get through this, Mackie girl. You might not like me much at first, but things are gonna get better, that I can promise you."

Gibbs crept from the room and closed the door once more. He took a deep breath and wandered towards Aimee and Janessa's room. Peering inside, he saw Aimee sitting on her bed reading a book. Sending her to her room was for his benefit more than for hers. He could feel the anger building in him when she'd confessed everything to him. He was still reeling a bit from the news. He'd used the time to think and calm down. He'd needed to reflect on Aimee's past and her capabilities. To him, she was a nine-year-old little girl in need of his protection and guidance, but he needed to remember that she was a military brat, and life was different for children brought up in the military. The kids travelled from base to base all across the world. The rules were different. Kids were given responsibility at a lot younger of age and it was normal for them to be free-roaming. It was a different lifestyle. For Aimee to not give much thought to her adventure wasn't a surprise, but what rubbed Gibbs wrong the most was Aimee bullying her sister not to tell him. Janessa was an incessant chatterer, so in order for her to have not said a peep to him or anyone else meant that Aimee's threat must have been a biggie.

Gibbs watched his blonde daughter fidget on the bed and then put her book down. He kept out of sight as she threw herself back on her bed and kicked her shoe off. He grimaced when the shoe hit the wall and ricocheted off it, landing on her desk with a thump. She then proceeded to kick off her other shoe and hit the window across the room.

Gibbs took a deep breath. "Trying to break it?" he asked as he walked into the room and picked up the tossed shoe and set it on the desk beside the other.

Aimee shot up in her bed and began to worry her lip between her teeth. "N-no."

Gibbs sat on Janessa's bed across from Aimee, rubbing his damp hands over his pants, anxiety rising up in him. He never usually felt this torn but with Riley in the house, every move he made felt like it needed to be carefully weighed. The house had thin walls and sound seem to travel to places he didn't want it to. He needed to be careful about how he handled things.

Aimee swallowed hard and gave him a fearful glance, pulling herself to lean against the wall. "Just how mad are you?"

Gibbs took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He wasn't mad anymore. He'd been furious earlier but taking time to think and reflect had doused the fire. Letting her stew any longer was unfair. "I'm not mad."

Aimee lifted a brow in disbelief. "You sure look mad."

"C' mere," prompted Gibbs, holding out his arms and waving her to come to him.

Aimee looked uncertain but slowly she slid herself off the bed and into his arms. Gibbs pulled her in and embraced her, pressing a kiss on her head. "I'm not mad."

After holding her close for several long minutes, he felt her fidget forcing him to quit waffling. It would be better to take her off guard and avoid the fight he knew he would get. Part of him felt a little guilty as he quickly moved from embracing her to upending her over one knee.

"Gibbs!" she whined in protest, reaching her hand back in a futile attempt to protect herself.

Gibbs pinned her hand to the small of her back and landed ten, sharp consecutive swats to her backside and then quickly stood her to her feet. He opened and closed his hand feeling the sting, so he knew they'd connected. Aimee's mouth gaped in astonishment as her hands flew to her backside. Tears filled her eyes and ran down her cheeks.

Gibbs stuck a finger in her face. "You better not EVER threaten your sister again, you hear?"

Aimee swallowed and nodded, her eyes as round as saucers.

"Thanks to you, I'm going to need to have a similar talk with Janessa…"

"N-no, Gibbs, please don't," Aimee pleaded.

Gibbs touched his finger to her lips. "No!" His sharp tone made Aimee jump. "She should have told you no; she knows better than to get on a bus without an adult." His eyes darkened. "As do you, so you remember it was you who got her in this trouble."

Aimee's eyes remained wide as tears flowed freely down her cheeks and her lower lip quivered.

Gibbs sighed as he stared at the disconcerted child in front of him and ran a shaky hand through his salt and pepper hair. It was uncharacteristic of the little girl to not fight back, and it was making him second guess his decision to come down so hard on her. His heart ached at the look of despair on her little face. For once, he'd definitely caught her off guard. Gibbs grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into a loving embrace. The little girl began to sob in his arms as he pulled her onto his lap and hushed her. After she calmed down, Aimee pulled away and looked at him sheepishly. "She did say no."

Gibbs slid Aimee's feet to the floor, pinning her between his legs. He cupped her chin in his hand, forcing her blue eyes to meet his steely ones. "What did you say?"

Aimee's lip quivered as fresh tears tracked down her cheeks. "She said no, but I…I didn't listen to her. I made her go with me anyway."

Gibbs narrowed his eyes. "How?"

Aimee might have been bigger but he highly doubted the older girl was strong enough to force Janessa to do anything against her will. Janessa always just seemed content enough to follow Aimee on her harebrained excursions just because Aimee told her too. Gibbs had been trying to teach the younger girl to not go along for the ride.

"Gibbs…I'm sorry," sobbed the little girl. "I didn't mean it, really I didn't."

"Aimee, just tell me what happened."

Aimee took a deep breath and choked back a sob. "You're going to be m-mad…"

Gibbs gave her hands a firm squeeze. "Aimee, tell me."

"You'll make me go away…"

Gibbs had to force himself to not roll his eyes. She was trying to skirt around the issue with this ruse. After everything they'd been through, she had to know that he would never make her go away, but he was willing to play along in case some part of her was being genuine.

He cupped her chin, "Aimee, listen carefully, okay? Nothing you could do would ever make me send you away and I think you know that. I'm your daddy forever. Now, stop hedging and spill it."

Aimee took a hitched breath as more tears tumbled down her cheeks. "I- I h-hit her."

Gibbs' brows hit his hairline. "You hit her?"

"S-she wouldn't go and she said if I did, she'd tell on me, so I…." Aimee worried her bottom lip and Gibbs gently reached out to release it. Her blue eyes shimmered in the light as tears traced a path down her cheeks. "I punched her and said I'd do it again if she told on me."

Gibbs was dumbfounded. Of all the things Aimee could have done, he never expected this. He knew that Aimee had threatened Janessa before but never had she actually hurt the younger girl, or at least he didn't think she had.

"I wasn't gonna make her go, but I was worried she run home and tell on me," continued Aimee between hitched sobs. "I'm sorry, Gibbs." Aimee pulled her hands away and threw herself on her bed sobbing.

Gibbs scrubbed a hand over his face as he watched her shoulders quake from the force of her sobs. At least she seemed sincerely sorry, and for that much, he was thankful. Gibbs stood to his feet and sat down on Aimee's bed beside her, pulling her onto his lap gently. She sobbed into his chest as Gibbs held her. "Okay, calm down now," he encouraged, cradling her in his arms. He never would have thought he would have landed in this kind of conversation. He'd broken up more than a few arguments between the girls but none had ever been physical altercations. How Janessa managed to hide all this from him he would never know. He'd been way too preoccupied with Makayla and Riley lately to properly pay attention to his little girls. All this needed to stop.

"Okay, enough of the tears," he commanded.

Aimee sniffled; her eyes were wide as she stared at him.

"Aimee, you can't hide this kind of stuff from me. No matter what you do, even if you think you'll get in trouble; you have to tell me the truth." He sighed knowing that she wasn't going to understand fully what he meant. Deep down he was glad Aimee had confided in Tony, at the very least. He didn't want to think what could have happened had she opened the switchblade at the playground or playing around with Janessa. He was glad he had a trusted team of adults in his life, ones that he knew he could count on to be good influences in the girls' lives.

Aimee relaxed in his arms. "I-I'm sorry," she muttered again.

Gibbs sat her up on his lap turning her to face him. "I know, but it doesn't change the facts. I want you to get ready for bed…"

"But we didn't even have supper yet," she protested, some of the spunk reigniting in her eyes.

"I will bring you a tray later."

"But daddy," she whined.

"Aimee, don't press your luck with me. You bullied your sister; even the very idea of you hitting Janessa makes me so upset and disappointed in you." Gibbs was struggling with himself to not overreact but his gut was telling him that it didn't make sense to spank her to teach her not to hit. "You're supposed to protect her, Aimee. That's what sisters do! You have no idea how lucky you are to have her!"

Aimee blinked back more tears.

"You took a forbidden trip to a very dangerous neighbourhood, found and hid an illegal, very dangerous weapon and then lied to me. You should have brought the knife to me right away. That weapon could be part of a crime scene for all you know. I'm very disappointed in you." Gibbs saw the look in Aimee's eyes when his words slammed against her heart. Gibbs was well aware of how powerful words were, but they needed to be said. For once, the little girl wasn't battling him which gave him high hopes that she was listening. "I want you in bed and thinking about what you did. I'll be up later and we'll talk some more."

Her eyes looked warily at him.

"Don't worry," he reassured her. "I just plan to talk, nothing else." Gibbs didn't want her to be stewing about him punishing her more. He'd given out all the swats he'd planned to give. Now, he wanted her to spend time honestly thinking rather than needlessly worrying.

Gibbs slid her off his knee and turned her to face him. "You've broken my trust, Aimee, and it's going to take a lot of work to earn it back." With those final words, he kissed her forehead and left the room

.

xXxXNCISxXx

X

Gibbs made some last additions to his culinary work before lifting the pot off the burner and setting it aside to keep warm. He never liked to let on that he had some talent in cooking for fear he'd lose all the delicious meals Abby tended to make for him. The truth was he was more than capable to take care of his stomach. It came from years of being at Jackson's side. His father was an incredible cook, far surpassing his mother and most times was the one who took care of satisfying the family's hunger. Gibbs' thoughts kept him busy enough as he'd prepared a savoury stew. He hoped his head had been in the game enough to make sure everything was seasoned properly because he couldn't remember putting spices in it. It certainly smelled delicious, so he figured he'd leave well enough alone and hope for the best.

The sound of the front door slamming turned his head just in time to see a small flash bolt into the room and into his arms.

Gibbs lifted the tiny wisp of a girl into his arms and planted a kiss on her brow. "Why, hello there little miss. Where's Ziver?"

"She tolds me to give you a hug from her, but she hads to goes back to work."

Gibbs glanced at the clock on the wall. It was past 7 now and darkness had long since fallen across D.C. However, he did remember how often cases kept him up all hours of the night for days on end. He hugged his daughter again and set her on the counter to get a look at her. Her face was beaming and he could see the leftovers of chocolate around her mouth.

"Did you have fun?" he asked, wetting a cloth and washing the remnants from around her mouth.

"Uh-huh. We hads briefdos for supper and chocolate ice cream."

Gibbs smirked. "Briefdos?" Now that was a new word on him. He really needed to see about getting the little girl some speech therapy. He felt positive that a five-year-old should be speaking much clearer, but his memory tended to be a little cobwebby when it came to certainty.

"You know, you put meat and rice and beans in a blanket and wraps 'em up real tight and then squish 'em."

Gibbs chuckled and poked her nose. "You mean a burrito."

Janessa made a face. "That's what I said." She smiled at him and looked towards the stove. "Whatcha cooking, Mr. Gibbs?"

Gibbs lifted a brow. "Mr. Gibbs? I thought you long since let that name go."

Janessa tipped her head sideways and smirked. "I did, but I just wanted to sees if ya was listening."

Gibbs reached out and tickled her, pulling her back into his arms. "You're a pickle. Anyone ever told you that?"

She squealed and giggled.

"For your information, I'm made some beef stew."

She squirmed to get down and Gibbs obliged. "I'm sures glad I had briefdos then. I hate stew!"

Gibbs winked at her, also feeling thankful she'd eaten. He'd forgotten the little girl's abhorrence of stew or really any food mixed together. He would have had a fight on his hands.

"Hey, Ness, can you and I have a chat?"

Janessa climbed up on a chair at the table and reached for a piece of fruit. Gibbs helped her by pushing the bowl of fruit closer. She chose an apple and shined it on her shirt.

"Where's Aimee? I wanna tells her about what we saw at the mall."

"She's in bed."

"Already? How come?" asked the blond-haired imp as she took a large bite of her apple. "It's not even late yet."

Gibbs bit back a smirk as he watched her try to turn around the huge chunk of food in her mouth. Part of the apple slipped out of her mouth and onto the table. "How about taking a smaller bite next time, ya monkey?" he suggested in amusement. He couldn't help but smile at the little girl as she worked to chew the piece she had bitten off. "Aimee told Tony about finding a knife at the park."

Janessa's eyes grew round as saucers and she stopped chewing. The deer-caught –in-headlights look almost made him laugh out loud.

"Finish chewing before you choke."

Janessa obeyed and swallowed but remained quiet as a mouse.

"Well, what do you know about it?"

She shrugged.

Gibbs leaned forward on his elbows towards her and saw her little face pale. "Before you think up a lie, you should know that Aimee already told me everything."

Janessa sucked in her bottom lip, and Gibbs could tell she was trying to decide if Aimee had really told the complete and total truth or just enough to skirt around getting in trouble.

"She also told me that she hit you."

Janessa's eyes widened further before tears flooded them.

"Question is why didn't you tell me as soon as it happened?"

"I'm sorry, daddy," she murmured, looking up at him sheepishly. A few tears escaped down her cheeks.

Gibbs sighed and stood to his feet, scooping the small child into his arms. "No need to cry, Monster." He said, using Tony's term of endearment for her. The name suited her that was for certain. He sat down again, cradling her in his arms. "How about just telling me the whole story in your words. But let me remind you, Aimee already told me the entire story, so I don't want to hear any lies."

The little girl nodded and began to regale the tale in much the same way Aimee had, including Aimee's part in threatening her. Gibbs listened and felt his heart skip a few beats as the littler of his two girls gave him more details than he cared to hear regarding the bus ride and the trip to the park. Obviously, she had a wild imagination, but he knew much of it carried a great deal of truth.

Gibbs was quiet for a moment and then finally said, "So, you told Aimee that you didn't want to go and she punched you. Where did she hit you?"

Janessa pointed to her arm. Gibbs rolled up her sleeve looking to see if there were any marks and there were none which did much to relieve his heart. Given it had happened more than five days ago, he'd expected to see a bruise of some kind left behind.

"I'm going to ask you a question, little miss, and I expect you to be completely honest with me."

Janessa sucked on her bottom lip and nodded. Gibbs sat her up more in his arms, turning her so he could see her little face clearly.

"Did Aimee hitting and threatening you scare you enough to make you go or do you think you could have gotten away to tell me?"

Guilty tears filled the little girl's eyes letting Gibbs know what he kind of suspected already. He knew in his gut that Aimee would never really hurt her sister. The punch had been mostly a threat with an empty promise behind it. He highly doubted Janessa needed much more cajoling then that. Gibbs knew that Janessa was pretty good at the art of manipulation. His little miscreant had wanted to go follow that little dog as much as Aimee had. Provoking her sister by saying no, although noble and admittedly what she was supposed to do, had been nothing but a ruse to cover her own little butt should they get caught. Gibbs had to say he was impressed by her ingenuity. It was a brilliant little con job.

"We just wanted to sees wheres the dog was going," she whispered.

Gibbs cupped her chin with his hand. "Did Aimee _make_ you go?"

Janessa started to nod then stopped and shook her head.

Gibbs slid her feet the floor and turned her swiftly sideways, landing three sharp swats on her backside before turning her to face him once again. "Next time you make sure your no means something. I don't care what Aimee says to you. You come tell me or whoever you can find. Got it?"

Janessa nodded and burst into tears as he sternly shook his finger at her. She began to convulsively swallow making Gibbs feel like a heel. He pulled the little girl into his arms and embraced her. He would be glad when this day was done.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Makayla took a few seconds to remember where she was when she awoke and when she did, she burst into tears. She was at Gibbs' house. Her parents had left the country again, and she was no further ahead than when they had come home. Her life was a mess, and she didn't know what to do anymore. She didn't want to go back to school and face her Headmaster that was for sure. She was already in more trouble than she ever imagined. She sniffled and reached for a tissue on the nightstand. She'd hoped getting some sleep would have made her feel better but it hadn't.

"Not feeling any better after some sleep?" came a voice from the darkness.

A light was switched on and after a few seconds of adjusting her eyes to the light, Makayla saw Gibbs sitting in a chair across the room.

"Not really," she managed to gravel out. Her voice sounded tired even to her. "What time is it?"

"Nearly midnight, if you can believe it. You hungry?"

Makayla felt a little shocked to hear that it was so late. She'd only meant to lie down for a half-hour or so. She'd really wanted to talk with Riley and now it was too late. The other teenager would be asleep for sure, and even if he wasn't she was sure Gibbs wouldn't want them to be up alone together. Makayla shook her head and pulled herself to her feet. "I guess you want your bed."

Gibbs waved a dismissive hand. "Nope. You can sleep here tonight, that is if you have any sleep left in you after that long nap."

Makayla managed a small grin in response. "Where will you sleep?"

"I've spent many a night on my old sofa. Another night isn't going to hurt me. Tomorrow we'll see about setting up another bed in the girls' room. That room is plenty big, and we can always put up a privacy curtain for you as well."

"Thanks, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs stood to his feet and crossed the room, sitting on the edge of the bed. "How are you holding up?" He reached out and thumbed away some tears on her cheek.

She shrugged. "I'm guessing I'm in a lot of trouble at school tomorrow."

He nodded. "What time did you leave exactly?"

"I'm not sure…maybe 11:30. I went to my art class…" Fresh tears fell down her cheeks. "I just got so upset, Agent Gibbs. I had to get out of there. Trouble is I passed at least two hall monitors, and I think I might have even knocked a phone out of one guy's hand and down the stairs. I'm fairly certain the Headmaster knows."

"Well, all we can do is go and talk to him tomorrow before school."

Makayla's eyes widened and shook her head. "I'm going to get kicked out this time. He was none too happy with me last time and said it was the last straw. Cheating and skipping school is not exactly looked upon as being acceptable for students that attend Xavier. They have their choice of students just chopping at the bit to get in."

"Well, that may be so, but I also happen to know the headmaster at Xavier…"

Makayla's brows hit each other. "How?"

"That's for me to know, but something tells me if I tell him that I have appropriately dealt with the matter and can guarantee that it won't happen again that he will have no reservations allowing you to continue your studies."

Makayla swallowed. Something about Gibbs' words seemed to hold a threat in them. She wasn't sure she liked the idea of Gibbs _appropriately dealing_ with her.

"Mak, do you want to go back to school?" Gibbs asked, his voice softening as he reached out to gently pat her leg.

Tears rolled down her flushed cheeks. "No," she managed to choke out. "I hate it there. Everyone hates me, Agent Gibbs, even my own sister. It's like one great big clique in that school and I'm never going to fit in. I do and say everything wrong."

Gibbs inhaled a deep breath. "Maybe I should have a talk with your sister…"

Makayla shook her head. "Don't bother. Aunt Jenny already tried. Melissa is so caught up with those kids. She wants to be just like them. Don't tell my parents because they will freak, but Missy is dating a boy whose father is some fancy-schmancy general in the Navy. Those kids rule the school."

Gibbs was quiet for several minutes as if deliberating his next move. "Well, let's get your last three weeks of school under your belt so you at least finish this semester. I'll get you back into your art class if you promise me no more skipping school."

Makayla's pulse picked up in her chest. "You really mean it?"

"I do, "said Gibbs and was rewarded by Makayla throwing herself into his arms.

"Thank you!" she shrieked in unbridled joy. If she had to attend Xavier, she could do it if she had her artwork to concentrate on. It was her sanctuary and peace of mind. If she had that to look forward to in her day, she could withstand just about anything Xavier and its students tossed at her.

Gibbs chuckled and cupped the back of her head with his hand, returning the warm embrace. Makayla felt so safe in his arms. She didn't know why she felt such a strong bond with him, but it just felt like the man truly understood her when no one else did.

Gibbs pulled away and tweaked her nose playfully. He puffed out his cheeks and Makayla could tell he was tired.

"As much as I don't want to end your day on this note, you and I have a little business to attend to regarding running off, don't we?"

Makayla stiffened. She'd forgotten about that part. Well, not exactly. She knew she'd skipped out on school but she'd forgotten how Gibbs looked at such things. Technically she never planned to actually run away but she knew in Gibbs' mind, it was all the same to him. Her shoulders drooped and she shook her head in defeat. This wasn't going to be good at all.

"I didn't run away," she argued. "I skipped school and went to the ice cream Shoppe. I never intended to leave town. There is a difference, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs nodded. "I know you never intended to run away far but Mackie, you still ran away. I can't let that slide. I'm sorry but I just can't. I've had it with kids thinking they can run away from their problems and between you and me, I'm sick to death of it."

Makayla pulled further away from Gibbs, more tears tracing a path down her cheeks.

Gibbs looked sternly at her. "You could have called me from school."

"I never intended to call you at all," she snipped but quickly regretted it when Gibbs' eyes darkened considerably. Now wasn't the time to point out the finer details of her intentions.

"Believe me, I am well aware of who you tried to call which reminds me. As long as you stay here, upstairs is off-limits to Riley and his room is off-limits to you. Got me?"

Makayla quickly acquiesced. Even if she disagreed with him, she wasn't doing to choose now to do it.

"It's late, and I don't want to drag this out. I also don't want to wake up the whole house doing what you really deserve, so consider this a reprieve with a warning. If you have a problem, you come to me right away without delay. I can't promise that everything will work out in your favour, but I do promise to help you the best I can. No running away. No skipping school or cheating. And don't you ever lie to me. Do we understand each other?"

Makayla swallowed and nodded.

Gibbs leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Think you can sleep anymore?"

She nodded. She didn't know why but she felt like she could sleep for a week.

"Alright then, I'll see you in the morning bright and early."


	18. Chapter 18

_**Greetings readers!**_

_**My sincerest thanks for your reviews of my last chapter. Special mention goes out to Guest (I am slowly getting to Abby's storyline...I haven't forgotten, I promise), DS2010 (thanks for your continual support!), KrisShannon, 90TheGeneral09 and Stareagle.**_

_**Special thanks to 90TheGeneral09 for his continual support and messages. **_

_**If you haven't noticed, he has written some parallel chapters to my story called Perspective. It is fantastic and gives some amazing details into Makayla's life at Xavier. Please read and review his work! He deserves it!**_

_**Thanks to all my readers for reading along...please do take time to review and let me know you're reading along. Your reviews inspire me to continue writing in my free time (Which is very rare these days)**_

_**Enjoy. :)**_

Gibbs kept his eyes focussed on the road as he drove, mulling over the early morning conversation between Tom Jenkins, the Headmaster of Xavier and himself. Tom and Gibbs went way back, both men serving side by side in Desert Storm. What Gibbs remembered and appreciated most was Tom's presence when he'd been first informed of Shannon and Kelly's death. It had been an excruciating moment in time, and he'd never forget how much Tom had stood in the gap. He nearly gave up all hope in the midst of his grief, but Tom had been there to speak wisdom into his life. The two men exchanged many harsh words during that time, but Gibbs took Tom's words to heart and for the better. After they parted ways, Gibbs kept quiet tabs on the man, discovering through scuttlebutt that Tom had taken the role of Headmaster at Xavier. It seemed so out of character for the man but overtime through various contacts, Gibbs came to realize the role suited him well.

Gibbs turned to look at the passenger beside him. Makayla had her headphones over her ears and was purposely avoiding any conversation with him, her music blaring loud enough that he could hear the lyrics. Her red hair was tied neatly in a ponytail, fastened with a small silver barrette and her uniform was crisp and neat beneath her jacket. She'd been withdrawn all morning, and it didn't look like that was going to change between now and arriving at Xavier. Gibbs turned his attention back to the road once more recalling his conversation with Tom. Gibbs had called to explain why it was he and not Mike or Julia Wallace attending the meeting regarding Makayla's recent absence from classes. Gibbs had been taken aback when he heard that Tom had already been well-versed by Mike Wallace of the circumstances, including Gibbs' role as guardian in their absence. Gibbs' mind still reeled over the sudden turnaround of events in that respect. It had been nice to see the alpha male come out in humble man but shocking nonetheless.

Tom Jenkins quickly filled Gibbs in about most recent events with Makayla, things Makayla's parents hadn't had time to discuss given their hasty departure. Michael Wallace was an intelligent man and was more in tune with his girls than Gibbs realized. Apparently, Jenny Shepard had never been able to connect with Makayla, so Mike Wallace's choice of Gibbs as guardian was a discerning one, despite how it may have looked to outsiders. Gibbs realized that the brilliant attorney had had his eyes and ears to the ground, and Gibbs' reputation with children preceded him. Apparently, Mike Wallace kept a closer eye on life in DC and with his girls than Gibbs gave him credit for. Gibbs might not have been a close family friend but he was well respected by NCIS and more importantly by Jenny Shepard, and under the circumstances, the best one suited to handle Makayla.

Gibbs cleared his throat loudly, hoping to catch Makayla's attention but it was to no avail. The young teen continued to stare out the passenger window oblivious to Gibbs attention.

"Mackie," he said loudly and reached out to gently touch her arm.

The teen girl jumped and pulled off her headphones. "Yah?"

"You haven't said two words since breakfast. Are you okay?"

She shrugged. "I'm fine."

"Nervous?"

"Facing the headmaster again is terrifying," she admitted, tears shimmering in her eyes.

Gibbs patted her arm. "I'm not going to ditch you."

She blinked away the tears and smiled. "Thanks, Gibbs."

Gibbs couldn't miss the look of relief that washed over the girl's face. Makayla had managed to get into quite a bit of trouble with the headmaster and her peers over the first semester of grade eight. Of course, cheating on her exam and skipping classes were by far her worst transgressions. The other deeds sounded like misunderstandings, yet he understood Tom's concerns about letting the latest deed go without penalty. She knew she was treading on thin ice. In fact, Makayla would never know how close she'd come to a more old-fashioned form of discipline. Tom Jenkins had been willing to dust off his rarely used 'board of education', but Gibbs quickly vetoed the idea despite Jenkins' reassurance of it being more show than bite. Gibbs didn't approve of such a show and was quick to inform his friend that if any antiquated correction should be needed, it would come from Gibbs and at his discretion, and definitely not at the hands of a school official. After being sure his view was clearly understood on that matter, Gibbs forced himself to let the matter drop and trust that the Headmaster would handle things fairly.

He winked at her. "Have you heard from your sister?"

"She called me yesterday. As usual, I'm an embarrassment to her."

Gibbs frowned, "What did she say?"

"Same ole same ole. I'm stirring up the prefects…basically pissing everyone off. Like I care."

"How are you stirring up the prefects?" asked Gibbs, curious to know why older high school students cared about an eighth grader's antics.

"You don't know much about Elite schools, do you, Agent Gibbs?"

"I know enough, and I have to say I'm not impressed with your sister at all. She should have your back."

Makayla scoffed, "Melissa doesn't care about me. She has her friends and her reputation to uphold. I'm just an annoyance."

Gibbs stored that information away for later. He'd be speaking with Jenny about Melissa and seeing if he could do anything to nip that attitude in the bud. He didn't appreciate that Makayla was feeling like her entire family was against her. Where he came from, blood defended blood. Hell, he didn't even have any siblings and he'd learned that young. "Does she know your parents have gone back to Europe?"

"She didn't seem to care. She's happy to stay at school with her friends over Christmas anyway. Lots of kids stay over the holidays these days because not everyone celebrates Christmas. She was a little annoyed that she couldn't bring Josh home for Christmas though…"

"Josh?"

"Her boyfriend," said Makayla, rolling her eyes. "She's stupid if she thinks that'll go over well."

"Your parents won't like him?"

"My dad might, especially if he shows any interest in legal matters or anything else he admires but my mom? No way! He's a military brat. My mom will flip her lid."

Gibbs bit the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. Somehow that information didn't come as a surprise to him. Julia didn't seem to like anyone who wasn't elite; however, many high raking military families could be considered elite but Gibbs didn't know if that applied to Melissa's young friend.

Makayla replaced her headphones, turning to look out the window once again and Gibbs granted her the privacy. His own thoughts returned to Jenkins and Xavier Preparatory. Gibbs had discovered some other interesting information with regards to Makayla. Apparently, the prefects at Xavier had come together and had a change a heart regarding the girl. Tom Jenkins shared that they had signed a recommendation for Makayla to receive a Prefect's medal for her artwork. Gibbs' jaw had dropped open in astonishment. It was quite the opposite of what he'd expected. Gibbs couldn't help but wonder where the change of heart had come from, especially considering how much trouble Makayla seemed to be to them all. He only hoped it would boost Makayla's self-esteem and help her enjoy the rest of her time at Xavier. The more he thought about it, the more determined he felt about having a little chat with Melissa in the near future. He'd only met the older girl a handful of times and she'd always seemed well-mannered and pleasant but he wasn't too happy about her attitude towards her sister. Melissa might not have been his concern, but Makayla was. He felt sure that Jenny wouldn't mind if he set the teenager straight on some things, particularly family loyality.

Gibbs pulled up to the school and parked. He watched as Makayla gathered her things and got out of the truck, resignation in her demeanour. He walked around his old, worn-out vehicle and the two of them walked silently towards the door. He decided it best to leave the auburn-haired girl to her thoughts and busied himself with taking in his surroundings. He'd never attended a fancy prep school as a kid. He'd grown up in the small country town of Stillwater; there had only been one high school in the town and everyone knew everyone else's business, but he was a small-town boy, and he was proud of it. He noticed students milling around the campus. He saw boys taking swipes at each other, heard coarse language that would set a mother's hair on end and young lovers hiding behind trees stealing kisses and whispering to each other. Kids were kids no matter where they attended school. From the corner of his eye, he saw Makayla stiffen.

"You okay?"

"There's Missy with her boyfriend," Makayla indicated the tree to their right as they walked past. Gibbs glanced inconspicuously towards a muscularly built teen boy and petite girl, standing by an impressive old oak tree. The two were engrossed in deep conversation and didn't seem to notice their presence. The young man stood tall, confidence radiating from him as he smiled flirtatiously at the pretty, auburn-haired girl. The young woman returned the smile as she straightened his collar. Melissa and Makayla resembled one another with their long, flowing red hair and petite stature. Any young man would've had to be blind not to notice them. Gibbs felt a smirk pull at his lips when he thought of Riley's fascination with Makayla. The kid could deny it all he wanted but it was more than obvious.

Gibbs slipped a hand to the small of Makayla's back to encourage her to hurry along. He didn't want or need an altercation between the sisters at this moment. "Never mind your sister, let's go meet with your headmaster."

Makayla seemed to twist her head backward to keep looking at her sister before relenting and turning to walk towards the entrance. Gibbs took one last glance in Melissa's direction as well before they walked inside.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs blinked, dragging himself out of his thoughts just in time to avoid missing his turn. He quickly glanced at his rear-view mirror, grateful to see that no one was behind him. Feeling a little disconcerted, he realized that he had little recollection of how he'd gotten there. It wasn't the first time he'd operated on autopilot and he hoped it wasn't becoming a habit.

Scrubbing a hand over his face, he saw his house in the distance. It was nearly 11 am and leaving a teary Makayla behind had been difficult for him. He'd wanted to shield her from the repercussions of her actions, but he knew he couldn't do that. Makayla had to take the consequences and learn from them. Despite everything, the girl had been re-admitted into her art class, much to her delight but her cheerfulness quickly faded when she received the news of her chastisement. The headmaster had revoked all her privileges at school, and she had to serve detention each day until the end of the semester; a fitting punishment but hard to digest for the 14-year-old. He had done his best to smooth things out and now the youngster needed to make amends by herself. His heart still ached a little when he looked back to see the tears shimmering in her eyes. He'd winked at her, letting her know he was proud of her for confessing her mistakes. In the end, when all was said and done, she was going to be a stronger person as a result. No one said growing up was easy.

Gibbs stifled a yawn as he reached his driveway and pulled in his truck. His restless mind hadn't allowed him much sleep the night before, and he secretly hoped the day would progress without any further drama. As he pulled in, he noticed his garage was open and could see Riley peering into the engine of his car. He lifted a brow and wondered what possessed the kid to tinker around with his old car. Gibbs had been meaning to do some maintenance on the old jalopy but just never seemed to get around to it. He was glad to see Riley take the initiative, but hoped the kid knew what he was doing and not making things worse. It seemed like all of Gibbs' vehicles were all old relics; all that is but his 1971 Dodge Challenger. Gibbs could see the yellow car still tucked safely away in his garage, a gift from his father restored to perfection. Gibbs was fine with Riley tinkering away with his vehicles but his Challenger was off-limits to all but him.

A streak of colour caught his eye and his heart jumped to his throat when he saw Janessa dash down the steps toward his truck. Before she even reached the end of the sidewalk, he slammed on the breaks and for a split second his cobalt blue eyes met her sky blues ones causing her to freeze mid-step. Immediately the little girl spun on her heel, retreated to the front step and sat down. Gibbs sighed in relief as he released the brake and proceeded to park his white truck to the left of the garage opening.

Riley looked up and waved when Gibbs shut his door. Gibbs smirked when he saw the streak of grease on the teenager's face.

"What's wrong with old Betsy now?" he asked, walking towards the entrance of his garage.

"She's running a bit rough. It might be your plugs or maybe a bad distributor cap…I'm checking on a few things and ewww, please tell me her name's not really Betsy," said Riley, reaching back into the engine once again.

Gibbs frowned. "What's the matter with the name Betsy?"

Without looking up, Riley said, "Pretty sure that was the name of Henry Ford's first car."

"How is that a bad thing," Gibbs bantered as he turned his attention to the guilty-looking girl sitting on his porch steps. He motioned at her to come to him which she did, only much slower than before. "And for your information, wise guy," Gibbs continued, looking back in Riley's direction, "It was the Dodge brothers who owned Old Betsy, not Henry Ford."

Riley's head popped up for a moment only to roll his eyes at Gibbs before disappearing back into the engine's belly.

Gibbs chuckled and turned to walk towards the house, meeting his little munchkin halfway. He bit back a smirk as he took in her appearance. She was wearing her new pink Oshkosh winter jacket, a pair of purple leggings and nothing on her feet. Janessa looked up at him sheepishly and Gibbs scooped her up into his arms, planting a feathery kiss on her brow. He wrapped his warm hand around one of her little feet and grimaced.

"Woo-wee, your feet are popsicles!" he said as he hugged her and inhaled her sweet baby smell. He knew she was five years old but he could swear she still smelled like a new baby, especially after her hair had been recently washed. One just never quite forgot that scent. "Mmmm, you smell good enough to eat," he said with a smirk.

Janessa narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm nots food."

"Are you sure about that? You sure smell yummy." Gibbs began to nibble at her ears, cheeks, and neck, sending her into a fit of giggles.

"Daddy!" she shrieked.

Gibbs narrowly missed catching her as she tossed her weight backward. He kept forgetting how she tended to do. He quickly shifted her weight and blew a sherbet on her cheek. "I missed you, Ness. What did you and Aimee do with Riley all morning?"

Janessa looked at him for a minute as she pushed his face away and wiped off her cheek.

Her little nose scrunched up as she considered him closely. "Are you mad at me, daddy?"

"Nope, not at all."

She tipped her head in confusion, reminding Gibbs of a puppy that had heard a new sound.

Gibbs kissed her again. "You stopped when you saw me and went back to the steps. Good job!"

She broke into a grin. "I thoughts I was in big trouble," she said, relief evident in her voice.

Gibbs hugged her again, patting her back. "You almost were but I'm super proud you remembered."

Janessa threw her arms around Gibbs, smothering his face in kisses.

Gibbs laughed and carried her towards the house. Once inside the front foyer, he set her feet on the floor. "Where are your socks and shoes?"

She shrugged, "I dunno."

Gibbs helped her take off her coat and laughed out loud. Janessa had obviously dressed herself this morning which was understandable since he'd left Riley in charge of the girls while he'd driven Makayla to school. Besides her purple tights, she wore an orange t-shirt with a picture of Arielle on the front. He tweaked her nose with a chuckle. "Don't you think you forgot something?" he asked pointing at her legs.

She scowled and shrugged. "What?"

"Some pants maybe?"

Janessa smirked. "Ohhh. Aimee locked me outs of the room when I went pee, so I couldn't gets any pants."

"Why did she lock you out?"

Janessa shrugged. "I dunno but she's in a mad mood at you."

"I see." Gibbs removed his shoes and kicked them towards the closet. Seeing Janessa's indoor shoes, he scooped them up and handed them to her. "Go check out the basket on the chair in the living room. Pretty sure I saw some pants and socks in there."

Janessa nodded and began to skip towards the other room.

"Did Riley feed you any breakfast?" he called after her.

"Uh-huh, eggs and Rice Krispies with bananas and sugar," came her reply as she disappeared around the corner.

Gibbs dropped his keys on the side table and turned when he heard the door open behind him. Riley came inside, wiping his face with a dirty rag, muttering something under his breath.

"So, what's wrong with it?"

Riley began to describe what he thought was wrong with the car and what he did to remedy the situation. Gibbs was impressed. It seemed that Riley had learned quite a bit in the Corps about engines. He wasn't surprised though. There were always so many talented young men who joined the Marines, many of them with backgrounds in various trades.

"Did you fix it?"

Riley sighed. "I dunno; I'd like to take it for a test drive if that's okay?"

"Yah, sure," agreed Gibbs, walking towards the kitchen. He had been craving a coffee since he'd left that morning. Riley followed behind him and proceeded to wash his hands under the kitchen faucet.

"If all goes well though, I'd like to be the one to pick up Makayla after school," began Riley, turning to gauge Gibbs' response to his words.

Gibbs lifted a brow, "Why's that?"

Gibbs couldn't help but notice a blush creep across Riley's face but the teenager managed to recover quickly. He sighed and leaned against the counter. "I just think she needs a break, Gibbs. Her parents made her life a living hell, and I haven't had a chance to talk to her since she got here…"

Gibbs poured himself a mug of coffee and proceeded to take a huge mouthful. The bitter liquid hit the back of his tongue and he felt like closing his eyes in ecstasy as he swallowed it. A powerful caffeine kick was exactly what he needed to take the edge off his nerves.

"And, umm, if it's okay, I'd like to take her out for pizza or something…" Riley hesitated then continued, "Maybe we could stay out later too if that's okay with you. Does she have a curfew or something?"

"Yah, she does and so do you, for that matter."

Riley narrowed his eyes, looking not pleased with the last part. "What time might that be?"

"Well, for Mak, probably around 9 pm but because she likely has homework and it's a school night, 8 pm might be a better plan for tonight."

Riley nodded. "And for me?"

Gibbs winked at him and smirked, "Nothing good happens after midnight."

"That's for damned sure," Riley agreed with an agreeable smirk. They shared a companionable look letting Gibbs know that Riley understood what he was trying to convey. Gibbs didn't want to crush their growing relationship; he understood full well that Riley had been on his own for a long time and definitely needed some autonomy. Gibbs just wanted to keep an eye on him, guide him and teach him self-discipline along the way, something all teenagers needed. Gibbs didn't plan on reining him in unless he needed it, and so far Riley had proven to be trustworthy.

Gibbs reached into the cupboard for a box of crackers. "I don't mind if you pick her up. You're right; she does need a chance to vent. Things are tough for her right now. She won't be finished until 4 pm today and until the semester is complete."

A perplexed look crossed Riley's face as he pulled himself up to sit on the counter. "How come?"

"I think you should ask her that."

Riley nodded his understanding.

"Thanks for watching Aimee and Ness for me this morning. Were they good for you?"

The teenager scrubbed his hand across his face, further smudging the grease across his face. "Not bad. Ness and I had eggs for breakfast and played tea party…" Gibbs chuckled as he popped a cracker into his mouth. Riley tossed him a look. "Don't judge me, man."

Gibbs lifted his hands up in surrender. "I'm not. She could convince the good Lord himself to have a tea party with her."

Riley groaned and shook his head. "We had tea and cookies with a couple of stuffed bears named Andrew and Gus and the fish was invited too." Riley indicated the fishbowl sitting on the table. "Apparently, goldfish are gluten-free so he wasn't allowed any cookies."

Gibbs laughed, eying the fat fish swimming happily around his bowl. "Doesn't look like he's hurting any."

"How do you know it's a he?" asked Riley, a playful expression on his face.

Gibbs tossed a cracker at him with a chuckle. Riley caught the snack in mid-air and popped it in his mouth, winking at Gibbs. It was good to see the teenager in such good spirits. Gibbs enjoyed joking around with Riley; the kid had a great sense of humour. They could use more laughter in the house and a whole lot less drama. "His name is Rover."

Riley rolled his eyes. "I know. Whoever heard of a fish named Rover?"

Gibbs shrugged. He certainly hadn't but for some reason, Janessa latched onto the name. He didn't have time for any other kind of animal even though he knew that Aimee was pining for a kitten. Remembering to clean out the goldfish tank was going to be a task enough.

"Where's Aimee?"

Riley shrugged. "She wouldn't come down so I let her alone. Figured she'd come down she was hungry."

Gibbs had to agree it was a good plan. Aimee could be difficult and he respected that Riley didn't want to get into an argument with the nine-year-old. He knew he needed to talk to her again. When he'd brought her a tray the night before, she'd been asleep. He ended up leaving her to stew overnight which probably hadn't been a wise decision.

"Probably a smart move," acknowledged Gibbs. He wasn't really relishing another run-in with his oldest younger daughter either. If she was still pouting then he was likely in for another battle.

A grin broke across Riley's face. "Good luck," he said as his phone chimed.

Gibbs returned the smile as Riley reached into his pocket to retrieve it. "Thanks a lot."

The grin faded from Riley's face as he read what Gibbs assumed to be a text message.

"Everything okay?" asked Gibbs, taking another sip of his coffee. A small part of him was still on edge over Makayla, and he wanted to be sure it wasn't her.

Riley looked up and nodded, exchanging an odd and indiscernible look with Gibbs. Gibbs' pulse jumped a notch when he noticed the colour draining away from the dark-haired boy's face.

"Ry?"

Riley did his best to recover his composure and slipped his feet to the floor. "Uh, yah, everything's fine, Agent Gibbs. I, uh, should go do a road test." Riley went to walk past Gibbs but Gibbs caught him by the elbow.

"Ry, don't give me that. What's going on? Was that Mackie?"

Riley's face seemed to pale further. "What? No, no, it's not Mak. I'd tell you if it was. I swear."

Gibbs released his hold on Riley. He believed him. There was no way he'd repeat the same mistake twice. "Alright, then what is it that has you so shaken?"

"Nothing."

Riley went to walk past Gibbs once again, but this time the older man stepped in his path.

"There's a lot of things I can let slide but lying isn't one of them," said Gibbs, letting his expectations be known clearly. He allowed the words to sink in before adding, "I expect you to be truthful, son."

"I'm not your son, damn it!" snapped Riley, his eyes darkening dangerously. "I said it's nothing, so drop it, alright?"

Gibbs took a few steps back, honouring the young man's space. His steely cobalt eyes met Riley's chocolate brown ones, each of them holding an intense look for several minutes until Riley relented and dropped his gaze to the floor.

He sighed, "I'm sorry. It's just I need to handle this on my own. Can you understand that?"

"Handle what?" prompted Gibbs, waiting for something to help ease his mind. Riley shuffled his feet, looking more and more agitated. Gibbs reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you need to trust me eventually, kiddo. You don't have to figure everything out on your own anymore."

"I need to do this on my own, Agent Gibbs. Please, just trust that I'll ask for help if I need it."

Gibbs squeezed the young man's shoulder and nodded. Riley had proven before that he would ask for help if he needed it, but Gibbs wasn't completely convinced. Last time Makayla had been with him and Riley had felt responsible for her safety. Would the kid respond the same way if it was just his skin in the game? Gibbs wasn't so sure.

"Okay." He stepped aside and let Riley pass by him until he reached the door. "But I'm expecting a call if you need help and your curfew stands."

Riley turned to look him in the eye. "I can handle it. I'm still picking up, Mak."

Gibbs nodded. He didn't feel like he needed to repeat when Makayla's curfew was. He'd said his peace and now the ball was in Riley's court. It was time for Riley to prove what he was made of.


	19. Chapter 19

_**Thanks for the reviews!**_

Riley grimaced when a powerful blow smashed his face and a low groan escaped his lips when another landed square in his gut. He doubled over with a moan, trying to catch his breath. He glared up at his attacker, gritted his teeth and swung back for all he was worth. His blow packed a lot of power behind it, sending his assailant backward stumbling to keep on his feet.

"Son of a bitch," a large, blonde-haired man shouted. "You broke my nose, goddamn it!"

Riley stood back with his fists still raised in defence, watching the larger man stumble and clutch at his face in pain. Riley had no sympathy. The well-planned shot had given him time to collect himself.

"Plenty more where that came from."

Riley felt hands grab him from behind but he twisted quickly enough to escape the grip and turned to face yet another opponent. He should have known. Trace never operated alone. The sandy-haired man was the same guy that was with Trace when he and Makayla had encountered them at the ice cream shop awhile back. Riley held up his fists ready to finish the fight, but the man backed away with his hands up. The smell of alcohol radiated off him, and he stumbled over his feet as he backed away. Riley spun back around just as a fist met the corner of his mouth, sending him reeling backward once again. The inebriated man behind him grabbed him by the elbows, pulling his arms back and immobilizing him. Trace took that opportunity to rain down punch after punch to his face and gut.

No words were exchanged as Riley took more than a few blows to his person, knocking his feet from under him. Once on the ground, he swung his legs out and knocked the guy holding him to the ground as well. He was on his feet in moments, exchanging blow for blow with the blonde-haired man.

"What the hell do you want from me, Trace?" Riley shouted, shoving the other man away and backing up, needing to catch his breath a moment. Blood streamed from his nose and split lip. Riley brushed it away with the back of his hand while straightening to his full height.

"I can only explain it to you, Janssen. I can't understand it for you," came the terse reply. The blond-haired man returned to his full height, breathing heavily as well.

Riley kept his back to the buildings behind him and kept a close eye on both men looming over him. The smaller, sandy-haired man look too drunk to stand up any longer but through some kind of divine intervention, he remained on his feet. A long string of expletives exploded off the guy's lips and Riley returned it tenfold. He hadn't been out of the Marines long enough to forget how to cuss. In fact, it came quite naturally to him having heard it from his father most of his life.

"Explain it again," croaked the drunk.

"Shut- up, Cooper. This is between Janssen and me."

"Then why the hell am I getting my ass kicked?" With those words, the drunk proceeded to fall to his knees.

Trace walked over to his friend and shoved him backward until the other guy landed on his back bashing his head on the concrete and losing consciousness.

"What the hell do you want?" reiterated Riley, feeling his face throbbing.

"Same as before, my friend. Just a piece of the action."

Riley's heart rate picked up once again. Memories flooded over him as he remembered his days at Parris Island. It was the same old rhetoric all over again. He was going through the worst kind of abuse at Parris Island and instead of helping him, Trace and his buddies took advantage and preyed on him too. He was weak and vulnerable, a kid in every sense of the word. Decent people would have come to his rescue but decency wasn't in Trace or his buddies. Oh, they didn't abuse and exploit him as his Drill Instructor did. They were predators of a different kind. Riley's vulnerability made him easy prey. Riley wasn't about to let himself fall victim to that any longer. He was tired of being used. He'd kill Trace first.

"I'm not afraid of you, Trace." His hands went to his hips as he worked to catch his breath. His ribs hurt and he wondered if he'd broken one or two.

Trace took the opportunity of Riley's guard being down to jump him again, landing more precise blows to his face. Riley was quick on his feet and managed to get the upper hand in the skirmish and got in his own hits, this time landing his knee in Trace's groin causing the man to double over in pain. A long list of expletives tumbled off the man's lips as he groaned in agony.

"I'm not that same scared kid anymore," said Riley, standing over the man with a show of bravado yet inwardly trembling all over. Riley swallowed convulsively, hoping the fear enveloping him wasn't as evident as it felt. Fear had a way of eating him up and he couldn't let it. He was thankful for his adrenaline keeping his wits about him. Without it, he would have crumbled to his knees. His hand brushed against his pocket and he felt his cell phone. Gibbs' face flashed to his mind. The older man would be angry with him for not calling for backup. There would be no way he'd be able to hide the bruises. Riley forced himself to brush away those thoughts. He couldn't deal with it now and the feelings working their way up were only defeating his resolve. Trace couldn't see that weakness in him.

Trace's lip curled when he looked up. The man's eyes were dangerously darkened making Riley shudder under the glare. "You think you're safe where you live, Janssen? Think that bigwig NCIS agent can protect you?"

The impressive blond-haired man grimaced as he stood to full height once again. Riley swallowed hard when the man's foreboding icy blue eyes met his brown ones. Something in that glare made his knees go weak. He blinked his eyes to forestall the memories shrouding him but it was no use. He could smell his surroundings from the past until his heart felt like it would hammer out of his chest. His haunted mind was taking over. Trace took an ominous step closer leaving Riley rooted in the past and unable to move. His fear overtook him. Trace grabbed Riley by the scruff of the neck, lifting him up on his toes. He put his face so close to Riley that he could see the flecks of brown in his blue eyes. Trace narrowed his eyes and put his fist deep into Riley's gut, removing it quickly only to continue the assault. This time Riley crumbled to the ground allowing Trace to kick him several times.

"You'll do as I say, Janssen. Just like before." He punctuated his words with several more kicks to Riley's side. "Keep your mouth shut and do as you're told like a good little boy."

Riley curled into a ball as the memories of his past overtook him. He was no longer in the alley fighting with Trace. He was back at Parris Island doing what he could to survive just one more day.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs tossed a tea towel over his shoulder when he'd finished drying the last dish and putting it away. It had been an interesting noon meal with his girls. Janessa had chatted nonstop. Gibbs' ears were still ringing with Disney princess gossip. He was grateful he'd been successful in convincing the girl to draw him pictures of her tales. Janessa had happily skipped off singing at the top of her lungs. Aimee, on the other hand, refused to eat and glared at him until he was forced to send her to sit on the sofa in the living room. He couldn't abide by her holding him hostage with her moods any longer. She seemed hell-bent on punishing him for his words to her the night before. It seemed like she'd decided that two could play the game, not that he ever agreed to play one. Gibbs sighed and finished the milk in his glass. He was perplexed. He didn't know how to end the conflict. His gut was calling for a knockdown but his gentler side wanted a peaceful resolution. Nothing seemed forthcoming and he was afraid the knockdown side would win.

He tossed the tea towel onto the counter and walked out to the living room. Aimee sat on the edge of the sofa with her arms crossed and her mouth set in a firm pout. She hadn't eaten anything for lunch and seemed to be on a hunger strike. Now that he thought about it, she hadn't eaten since lunch the previous day. She was a stubborn kid when she wanted to be. Gibbs pulled out the coffee table and sat down in front of her. He rested his hands on either side of his legs and quietly stared at her. She glared at him with haughty eyes.

He sighed, "What am I going to do with you, huh?" He whispered the words so softly thinking she wouldn't hear them but her chin jutted out telling him she'd heard. She furrowed her brows and continued her glowering. "I brought you a tray last night but you'd fallen asleep and I didn't want to wake you. You looked so peaceful all curled up in your bed. I was hoping you'd wake up in a better mood this morning but I guess not."

She continued to glower at him with clenched fists.

"It must get tiring being so angry all the time," he stated, "I know it makes me tired."

She narrowed her eyes further, looking ready for combat. "I'm not tired," she countered.

"I'm sorry you feel so angry, Aimee," he said, attempting to acknowledge her feelings.

She gritted her teeth. "I'm not angry."

Gibbs had to force himself not to roll his eyes at her comment. If only she could see herself, arms crossed, jaw firmly set and eyes sullen. If she wasn't angry then he didn't know what it looked like.

"You could have fooled me, little one. That little scrunched up nose of yours and that pout on your lips tell me a different story." He reached out to touch her nose but she snapped at him with her teeth forcing him to pull his finger back. He inhaled deeply in resignation. It was time to put an end to her bullying. He held up the thumb and forefinger of his right hand. "I'm about this close to repeating last night's lesson, only this time a little closer to the skin." Gibbs could see his words casting a chink in her armour as her lower lip trembled a little and she dropped her chin. Gibbs reached out and stroked her head gently. "But I'd rather we talk instead, how about you?"

Aimee jerked her head away from his touch. "I don't wanna talk to you!"

Gibbs caught her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him. "It's time to put that attitude to bed."

Aimee slapped his hand away. "Shut up." She looked up at him defiantly, anger fully pervading her features. Gibbs dropped his hand and took in a long, deep breath to calm down. He didn't want to do anything rash, and he suspected she felt like she had a good reason for lashing out at him. Somehow they were having a misunderstanding, and he knew it was his fault for letting her fall asleep the night before without finishing things. He'd left her to stew over his disappointment in her, and it hadn't been fair to her. Giving her time to think was good but not time to wallow. Kids had a hard time carrying guilt and it had led them to where they sat now. The question was how he was going to get her back to the point of submission without a repeat of last night's event. He wouldn't be able to speak to her heart if she was this divisive.

"Okay, I will be quiet for now, but I want you to remain sitting here until you calm down and ready to talk with me."

Gibbs rose to his feet and crossed the room, reaching for a book on the shelf above the television. From the corner of his eye, he knew Aimee was having none of his token peace offerings. She was ready for a fight and it appeared like she was willing to do anything to get it. She'd obviously been saving it up for him all morning and thankfully, Riley hadn't tried to intervene. The adolescent boy had learned a few things about Aimee while staying with them; he knew getting into a battle with the nine-year-old wasn't worth the hassle.

"Being disappointed in your behaviour has nothing to do with how I feel about you, sweetheart," Gibbs said as he turned to face her, book in hand. He was beginning to put things together in his mind. He'd never told her that he was disappointed in her before and maybe, just maybe she didn't know what to do with the emotions those words elicited in her.

Aimee frowned and stood to her feet; her arms were still crossed but her eyes filled with tears. She was listening though and Gibbs planned to use that to his advantage. He needed to head off her tumultuous feelings before they ended up someplace neither one of them wanted to be.

"I still love you and that will never change," continued Gibbs, speaking softly. He could see her chin quivering and tears blurring her vision. She swallowed several times, swiped at her eyes and allowed a pout to settle on her face. "I'm upset that you hurt your sister but it doesn't change the way I feel about you," he explained, sitting down on the edge of the fireplace and thumbing through the Western. He'd read every book on the shelf, probably twice but he kept them because they were his favourites. He'd read every one of them again someday or so he told himself.

Aimee walked around the sofa while staring at him. Gibbs could see the anger melting away into hurt. His heart went out to her as tears escaped down her cheeks. He could see her resolve crumbling around her.

"I love you, Aimee Gibbs," he said louder this time. "Nothing you could do could ever make me stop loving you, Aims."

Gibbs heard a loud sob and looked up to see her dissolve in tears. His heart went out to her as he stood to his feet, opening his arms to her. He met her halfway as she ran into his embrace weeping openly.

"I-I thought you hated m-me," she said between hitched breaths.

Gibbs pulled her up into his arms, sinking into the sofa and wrapping his arms tightly around her. "Never, sweetheart, never," he reassured her, pressing a kiss onto her head. She continued to sob, each one racking her body making her shoulders shake. He put a hand on the back of her head, raking his fingers through her soft, blond hair and rocking her on his knee.

"I-I'm s-sorry," she cried, sniffling and working hard to catch her breath.

"Shhh, I know you are," he crooned. "It's okay. You're okay, honey." He continued to rock her and hush her as she cried out her hurt. Tears burned in his eyes as well. Words had power. He knew that. He'd always known that. Words had the power to build up and break down. They had the power to teach and admonish. Words had the power to destroy or heal. They lived forever inside a person's soul.

As the little girl's sobs began to wane, Gibbs pulled her away from him and brushed her hair away from her face. He thumbed away tears that tumbled down her cheeks and tipped up her chin to look her in the eye.

"I will always love you, you little turkey. That will never change! Get that through your head right now." He poked her nose and she smiled through her tears.

"I-I thought…" she dissolved into tears again and fell against his chest.

He hugged her again and then pushed her back. "You thought wrong."

She swallowed and blinked back more tears.

"I said I was disappointed in you. That's a far cry different than saying I don't love you."

Her lower lip trembled as more tears washed down her face.

"I'm sorry for leaving you alone so long, honey," Gibbs said, cradling her face with both hands and kissing her cheek. "I had planned to talk with you more last night but you fell asleep and I needed to take Makayla to school this morning. I'm not mad at you, okay? I just needed you to know that hitting your sister and bullying her is never okay in my books. Ever. Got it?"

Aimee's eyes glistened still as she nodded. "I-I won't do it again." She promised.

Gibbs kissed her again and shuffled back more on the sofa, cradling her in his arms. "That's good to hear," he said. Aimee snuggled in and continued to blink back tears. He sighed and smiled down at her. "You better now?"

She sniffled and nodded.

In the distance, he could hear his Disney princess descending the stairs, singing at the top of her lungs. He looked around the room at the dull, yellowing beige walls and heaved a sigh. He needed to paint and update the place. It was depressing and boring. He had a new life now, with so much life and joy. It was time his house reflected that. He looked down at Aimee and tickled her gently making her giggle and squirm.

"I think it's time we go get a Christmas tree, whaddya say?"

Aimee's eyes lit up as she pulled herself into a sitting position. "Do you mean it?"

Gibbs nodded. "It's time we dress this old house up a little."

"When can we go?"

Janessa skipped into the room just then and came running over to join the cuddle. Gibbs pulled the small girl up onto his other knee.

"Daddy says we can get a Christmas tree, Nessie!" said Aimee, tears still glistening on her cheeks.

Janessa's eyes lit up as she shoved her colouring pictures in Gibbs' face. Gibbs laughed and ducked to avoiding getting the papers shoved in his eyes. He rescued the papers, setting them beside them. "Let's see if we can go to the Christmas tree farm after supper tonight, that way Riley and Makayla can come too. Maybe even Tony, Abby, Ziva and Tim can come too."

"Yippee!" cried Janessa, nearly deafening him in the process. "Can we gets hot chocolate and goes for a sleigh ride?" asked Janessa, her eyes wide in anticipation.

Gibbs stood to his feet, lifting both girls under his arms making them squeal in delight. "No promises but we'll see. For now, let's go see what we can find for decorations in storage. We can decorate this old house and surprise everyone."

Both girls screamed in excitement as Gibbs set them down and they grabbed his hands to drag him upstairs. Gibbs couldn't keep the smile from his face as he enjoyed their cheerful laughter.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Makayla exited the front door of the school, shivering as the cold wind hit her face. She pulled up the hood on her parka and continued to walk, lost in her thoughts about her day. Gibbs had told her he'd be waiting to pick her up at 4 pm on the dot, so she figured she might as way make her way to the parking lot. She didn't want to press her luck with him today. It had been a long, extremely strange day and she was mentally exhausted. The morning had been plain awful. The headmaster had been stern and unrelenting, much as she'd expected. He'd lost all sympathy for her behaviour. He'd let her know that if she stepped one more toe out of line, she'd be facing some dire consequences. Part of her didn't even care, and she would have said so had Gibbs not been sitting beside her. She didn't put it past him to discipline her then and there right in front of Headmaster Jenkins if she dared to be disrespectful. As it was, she nearly lost her temper during the meeting. She hadn't been sure if she'd make it through without crying or saying something she'd regret. She knew she'd gotten off lightly with Gibbs the night before, and she was thankful he'd chosen to speak with her after everyone else had turned in for the night. Had it been earlier, she might have found sitting a tad uncomfortable today. Thankfully, Gibbs' calm presence and reassurances had helped keep her composed.

After Gibbs left, she'd found herself alone, facing the student body of Xavier in the hallways. Strangely enough, the prefects were nice to her, smiling at her and saying how glad they were to see her back at school again. It had been downright creepy. She hadn't known what to make of it. The boy called Woodes Rogers stopped her in the hallway once again, asking her if she was going to attend the tutoring he had set up. She'd forgotten that not all the students at Xavier had been unkind to her. Woodes, for one, had gone out of his way to make life easier, offering to find tutors and anything else that would make life easier for her. She'd been so busy being angry and annoyed at her parents and well, life in general, that she'd never taken him up on his offers. His kind, concerned brown eyes had seemed to stare into her soul and she couldn't quite place her finger on what he was thinking. Something had changed. He wasn't looking at her like she was the usual pain in his side, but rather he seemed more genuinely concerned. It was disconcerting to Makayla and she'd politely brushed him off with the excuse that she had detention and had to go home right away. Woodes seem to accept her answer without circumstance, wishing her a good day as he sauntered off down the hallway.

Then, not looking where she was going, she ran straight into her sister's boyfriend, Josh Marshall, knocking all her belongings onto the floor. She'd felt her face turn crimson when she'd scrambled to collect her books, but instead of the dressing down she expected, Josh had simply bent down and helped her retrieve everything and let her go on her way without even asking to see her hall pass. After he walked away, she beat herself up over not asking him if she'd broken his cell phone in her haste the day before. If so, she vowed to herself that she'd replace it with her own money. She wasn't going to be indebted to anyone.

"Makayla!" Makayla spun around to see Jessica Adams rushing towards her. "Wait up," said the girl as she fought to run and pull on her green, plaid jacket at the same time. The petite, long curly-haired brunette soon fell into step with her yanking up her hood over her head.

"Hey, Jess," said Makayla, not exactly exuding warmth with her tone.

Jessica didn't seem to notice but continued speaking, "It was great to have you back in class today. Mr. Philips was livid when the Head expelled you from class. We all were. I can't believe they pulled all your work from the art competition."

Makayla frowned wondering why Jessica cared all of a sudden. She'd seen the whole class murmur and make fun of her when Phillips kicked her out of class the day before. "Yah, Jenkins told me. Said if I was expelled from the class, my work couldn't be part of the exhibition."

"Well, it can now!" the girl said enthusiastically. "We're all glad your back, Makayla."

Makayla kept walking, tears shimmering in her eyes. She'd felt abandoned by all her friends for the last few months, especially Jessica Tanner. Her so-called bestie hadn't bothered to call or even text in over a month, so she didn't know what to make of this sudden outreach of friendship.

"Uh, thanks." Makayla managed to say, feigning a friendly smile despite feeling awkward around the other girl.

Jessica returned the smile, hooking her arm around Makayla's elbow. The action reminded Makayla of earlier days when Jess and she would skip around the playground arm and arm. Of course, that had been years ago, when they were little school girls without a care in the world. "I overheard my brother talking with one of the Prefects," continued Jessica, her eyes sparkling in enthusiasm. "You won't believe it, Makayla, but they recommended you for a Prefect medal…"

Makayla stopped walking, turning to her friend with her mouth agape. Makayla couldn't believe her ears. Why would the prefects do that? They all hated her and wanted her gone from Xavier. Her sister had told her more than once what an embarrassment she was to the school and the entire student body. "You've got to be kidding."

Jessica shook her head. "I swear I'm not." Her friend adjusted her backpack and pulled her in for a quick hug. "If anyone deserves it, Kayla, you do," the brunette whispered before pulling away. "It's about time the seniors recognized that you're the best artist at Xavier. You're going to win the art competition, bump up Xavier's credibility in the Arts and damn well show all those brainiacs that the

Arts matter just as much as any other subject at this school. Not a one of those Prefects can draw so much as a straight line that looks like one."

A smile played on Makayla's lips as she listened to her friend talk. It reminded her of better times when the two of them would giggle and make fun of the stuck up snobs in the school. It had been a way to let off steam when they failed to measure up in some of the tougher subjects. Unfortunately, over time as life got more difficult with her mother, the two girls grew apart. Jessica excelled in most of her academic subjects while Makayla stopped trying or caring.

As Makayla opened her mouth to speak, the sound of a vehicle coming up behind them caused both girls to turn on their heels. Makayla's heart skipped a beat when she saw Riley driving Gibbs' white pickup truck. She hadn't expected to be picked up by him and it made a happy shiver run down her back in anticipation of spending time alone with him. She'd wanted to talk to him since yesterday but hadn't had the chance. Taking a second look, her brows knit together when she saw Riley pull the sun visor down so his face was hidden. Something was wrong. She felt it in her gut.

Makayla quickly hugged her friend. "That's my ride, Jess. I gotta go."

Makayla took off running towards the truck hoping upon hope that Jessica wouldn't follow her.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Riley pulled his hoodie over her head and adjusted the sun visor on the truck. He didn't want anyone at Makayla's school catching a glimpse of his face. He was glad to see Makayla run towards him when she saw the truck pull in. When she reached the door and opened it, she gasped.

"Riley! What happened?"

"Shut up and get in," he said abruptly, putting the truck back into gear.

Makayla scowled but obeyed, shutting the door and reaching for her seatbelt. As soon as she closed the door, Riley took off squealing his tires. From the corner of his eye, he saw a group of students stare in his direction. He only hoped no one recognized that he'd picked up Makayla. He didn't want Gibbs finding out about anything until he was ready to tell him. He needed some time to think and figure things out. For now, he and Makayla needed to talk.

"Riley, what's going on? What happened to your face?"

Riley pulled his hoodie closer to his cheek, "Nothing. Gibbs gave me permission to pick you up and take you out for supper. We don't need to be home until 8 pm…"

Makayla reached out and pulled his hood off his head.

"Damn it, Mak," he cursed, pulling the hood back up over his head. "I'm fine…"

"Riley, what the hell happened to you? Did your dad do that?"

"What? No! Geez, Mak. I haven't seen my ole man since Agent Gibbs locked him up. Hopefully, the asshole is rotting in jail…"

"Then what happened to your face?"

Riley pounded his fist on the steering wheel and kept driving, staring straight ahead. He should have thought this through. He never thought Trace would jump him and pound the shit out of him. He knew the guy was dangerous, but he'd banked on the guy staying in Iraq or some other God-forsaken place the US sent their troops.

"Riley, c'mon, tell me what happened? Who hit you?" begged Makayla, trying to pull the hoodie down again. Riley held it firmly in place. He grimaced when they drove over a particularly rough spot in the road. It almost hurt to breath. His ribs ached; he couldn't be sure but he suspected he may have broken or cracked a few. "God, Riley, you're really hurt. Pullover somewhere so I can see. Please."

Riley kept his eyes on the road, searching for a side road he could turn off on. If he was going to pull over, it was going to be someplace private, someplace where they could talk for real.

"Riley, please…" pleaded Makayla, reaching out to place a warm hand of his forearm. He could feel himself shaking still but he didn't want her to know so he dropped his hand to his knee. He chanced a glance at her only to hear her gasp loudly. "We need to call Agent Gibbs. I think you need stitches." Riley saw her reach into her backpack for her cell phone. He quickly reached out and smacked it out of her grasp. It hit the dashboard and bounced onto the floor by his foot. Riley released his foot off the accelerator, stomping the phone with his heel. The phone crunched under his foot.

"What the hell, Riley! Why did you do that? Gibbs is gonna kill me if he texts and I don't answer!"

Riley returned his foot to the accelerator. He was well aware of Gibbs' weird rules but they weren't part of his team at NCIS. They didn't need to listen to ridiculous rules. Gibbs said to be home by 8 pm and they would. Until then, they would remain incognito. "Shut up a minute, Mak. Geez. I need to find a place to pull over," he snapped at her. He saw her eyes widen when he shouted at her. He felt like a piece of shit when he saw tears fill her eyes. He kept his eyes on the road as silence filled the truck cab. He could hear Makayla sniffling, letting him know that he'd made her cry. He kept driving until he reached an abandoned parking lot down a side street. He looked around seeing that they were alone. He pulled the truck in and parked it, shutting the engine off with a sigh. He pulled off his hoodie and turned to look at her. He reached out to wipe a tear from her face but grimaced from the movement. Everything throbbed with the beat of his pulse. His face, his arms, his sides…there was no part of him that didn't ache. "I'm sorry, Mak."

"Riley, tell me what's going on."


	20. Chapter 20

_**Hey Readers,**_

_**I've had so many people private message me and ask if I'd post an update...so here is a chapter...it's kind of short and a little rushed but it's here.**_

_**Life has been so busy...long story but we adopted! **_

_**So, forgive me for not updating in a while. My hands are full and so is my heart!**_

_**If I don't have time to update again before Christmas...Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2020!**_

Makayla forced herself to take a deep breath to calm her racing heart. Riley looked a frightening mess and he wasn't making any sense at all. She was working really hard to not to burst into tears despite the fact he was scaring her silly. For all the time she'd known Riley, he'd never acted so unpredictable and he'd certainly never yelled at her. Her eyes fell to the floor as Riley reached under his foot to rescue what was left of her phone. He grimaced as he briefly looked at it and then cursed under his breath. He looked at her apologetically as he gingerly placed it in her outstretched hand. Tears blurred her vision when she realized that it had been pretty much rendered useless. Gibbs was going to kill her.

"I'll pay to have it replaced," muttered Riley running a shaky hand through his hair. "I'm sorry; I just don't want you to call Agent Gibbs. Can you understand that? I can handle this on my own."

Makayla nodded. "Riley, I don't care about the phone…" her voice trailed off. She really didn't, but a part of her did care about Gibbs' wrath coming down on her should he discover she was unreachable. She knew how much the older man hated it when anyone he cared about was unreachable. The newly forming bruises on Riley's face made Makayla wince and she couldn't stop the tears from escaping down her cheeks. Truth be known, she was feeling really fearful and hearing Gibbs' voice would have made her feel better. She reached out and gently touched Riley's bruised cheek. "Does it hurt?"

Riley grimaced and shied from her touch, answering her question. "I'm fine."

"Tell me what happened," she said softly, grabbing her backpack and unzipping it. She had water and tissues in it, so she'd be able to at least clean up his face and hands a little. She didn't know much about first aid but she was sure Riley did. She also had some ibuprofen. Maybe it would help alleviate some of the pain she could see radiating in Riley's eyes.

"Remember those two guys from the ice cream Shoppe?"

Makayla nodded as she poured some water on some clean tissue and reached out to dab at Riley's split lip. He winced but didn't pull away. "Sorry," she whispered. She made a face in sympathy but kept dabbing at his lip and the other cuts on his face. "I remember them. You wouldn't tell me who they were before…"

Riley took the tissue from her hand, holding it against his blackened eye. "It's a long story, Mak and I didn't want to drag you into my mess…"

"Ry…" she sighed. By the determined look in his eye, he wasn't going to listen to her scold him about sharing troubles. "You're a chauvinist," she said with a sour expression on her face. Her words had no heat behind them but she was frustrated. She shook her head, wiping a few tears away then she scoffed, "You're more like Gibbs than you realize..."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Riley asked, confusion swimming in his eyes.

"You don't need to do everything by yourself, you big dummy! Why didn't you call Gibbs yourself?"

Riley pushed her hand away as she tried to dab at more cuts on his face. "Makayla, Trace is dangerous…" he seemed to stumble over his words before going on to say, "And I don't need Gibbs cleaning up my messes for me. I can do it myself."

"That's just stupid. Gibbs deals with criminals every day in his job. I'm sure they are far more dangerous than some old nemesis from your Marine days."

Riley punched the steering wheel in anger, making Makayla jump and Riley swore in pain.

"Good job, Einstein. Trying to break your hand too?"

"Just back off, Mak!" he snapped.

Makayla sighed, more tears blurring her vision. "Why did you pick me up if you didn't want my help? Huh?" she countered. "Did you really think I'd just pretend you were fine, and we'd go out for pizza or something? Are you that stupid?"

Riley ran a hand through his hair again. " Maybe. I dunno. God, I'm an idiot." He muttered looking defeated and like he really didn't know what his next move was.

Makayla could see that he was shaking all over. She closed her eyes and tried to even out her breathing to calm down again. It wasn't helping anything to get mad and yell at Riley. When she opened her eyes, she looked down at her phone to see if she could get it to work long enough to send a text to Gibbs; he would know what to do. Riley obviously wasn't thinking straight. If Makayla hadn't learned anything else over the past few months, she'd learned to reach out for help when she needed it. She was tired of trying to handle the big things on her own. She always ended up epically failing anyway and usually landed in even more trouble to boot. When she saw the screen light up, she slid the phone off her lap and away from Riley's sight.

"I'm sorry, Mackie…" began Riley leaning his head back against the seat. He looked exhausted and defeated. "I never thought I'd see Trace again. It was a fluke really that he came across us that day at the ice cream Shoppe. I'd thought he'd been deployed."

"Just tell me what he wants. Why did he beat the crap outta of you?"

Riley took a deep breath and shuddered, clutching at his side.

Makayla reached out to touch Riley's forearm in concern. "Are you okay, Ry?"

He quickly shook his head. "I'm fine. It just hurts to take a deep breath, is all."

"But that's not normal, Ry…should I take you to the hospital?"

Riley reached out and patted her hand, "I'm okay, Mak. Besides, how would you get me there? You can't even drive."

Makayla jutted out her chin in defiance. "I can drive, Riley," she countered, daring him to prove otherwise. If Riley was seriously injured, she'd get him to the hospital. Somehow.

"NO, you can't. Don't even think of doing something so stupid." Riley winced again, his face growing pale. You'd get us both killed even trying."

Makayla worried her bottom lip. "I'm scared, Riley."

"I know and that's my fault. I shouldn't have taken us so far off the beaten path. I'm okay, Mackie so stop worrying about me."

"What does Trace want from you?"

Riley's rich chocolate brown eyes filled and swam in tears for a brief moment before he blinked them away. Makayla trembled at the vulnerability he'd briefly shown her. It made her realize he was just as much of a kid as she was. She glanced to her side watching her phone screen come up. She tapped at the text messages, hoping the touch screen still worked. Even a simple 911 message would let Gibbs know she needed him.

"Back…back…at Parris island," stuttered Riley, further grimacing and gritting his teeth, obviously in pain. "Trace…Trace kinda was known for targeting the weaker cadets," Riley scrubbed a hand over his face blinking his eyes several times. "At least, known by the other recruits. He was pretty damn good at hiding from the drill instructors."

"Riley, are you okay? You look awfully pale," said Makayla watching as the rest of the colour drained from Riley's face. She tapped on her phone screen and was relieved to see it go to her text messages. She carefully dragged her finger over the screen to pull up the last message from Gibbs but the screen was unresponsive. Scrolling wasn't going to work. She could see the last message from Gibbs at the bottom; she tapped on it but got no response from the damaged phone.

"I'm fine," Riley reassured her, inhaling a deep breath and releasing it slowly while gritting his teeth.

Makayla reached into her bag and pulled out the ibuprofen she carried with her. "Take a few of those," she offered, handing him her water bottle. Riley gratefully popped a few pills into his mouth, chasing them down with half the water in her bottle.

He wiped the back of his mouth and handed back the bottle. "Thanks."

"So, what did Trace do?"

Riley shrugged, "Nothing that bad at first. Life was already pretty damned awful with my D.I. riding my ass so hard; I hardly noticed anything else was up. Trace was no more than a pesky fly in the beginning, but over time, when I was less able to cope with things, Trace got riskier…always wanting a piece of me."

Makayla trembled at the ominous tone in Riley's words. She really didn't want to know what he meant. "So, uh, what does he want now?"

"He wants me to steal from Agent Gibbs…"

"Wait, What? Why? What would Gibbs have that's worth stealing?" said Makayla incredulously. The man had nothing of any value in his home, no paintings or sculptures and even all his electronics were outdated. Gibbs lived like a pauper. In fact, for several seconds, Makayla pondered what the man did with his money from NCIS. Gibbs was a high ranked agent. He would, in all likelihood, be very highly paid for his services.

"Anything…money, passwords, Intel, classified military information…anything useful that he can profit from…"

Makayla felt her mouth go dry. "Riley! You need to tell Agent Gibbs!" Her heartbeat quickened in her chest as she tapped on her phone screen continuously, hoping to get it to pull up Gibbs' last text.

Riley shook his head. "No!" He looked at Makayla with an imploring expression filling his eyes. All Makayla could see was his split lip, bruised face and darkening eyes. "Mak, Gibbs can't know about any of this. Promise me you won't tell him. Trace has connections that could seriously screw things up for Gibbs…maybe even get him killed."

Makayla shook her head. She knew that Gibbs had influences that Riley couldn't even imagine. Riley wasn't thinking straight at all. Gibbs was an NCIS agent, military trained and definitely well connected. "Riley, that's just plain dumb. Gibbs works for NCIS for Pete's sake…you don't think he has connections?" If it were possible, Riley's face paled more and Makayla could see perspiration forming on his brow. "Riley, you don't look good. Where does it hurt?"

Riley grimaced and groaned as he clutched his side. "I think I mighta broken a couple of ribs…" he muttered.

Makayla reached out and carefully lifted Riley's jacket up to get a better look. "Lift up your shirt so we can take a look," she ordered, shifting herself sideways more to help Riley. She chanced a glance at her phone but still had no luck getting the screen to cooperate with her. Perhaps she should just try to place a call on it? Riley moaned as Makayla lifted his sweater and t-shirt up to get a better look at his injuries. Tears burned in her eyes when she saw all the bruising across his abdomen.

"Geez, Riley, what did Trace do to you?" she gasped.

Riley shook his head as he attempted to survey the damage himself. Cursing, he yanked his shirt down. "It's nothing!" he growled, his voice sounding weak and raspy this time.

"Riley Janssen, that's not nothing! You could have internal bleeding for all you know. Is it supposed to get all black and purple that fast? I mean, doesn't it take a while for bruises to form?" asked Makayla, wishing she'd paid more attention in health and first aid class at school. But Riley would know. He would have taken medical training of some kind in his Marine training.

Riley laid his head back but remained quiet, his face white as a ghost now.

"Oh no, you don't," cried Makayla, noticing that Riley was looking faint now. "Don't you lose consciousness on me, Riley!" Riley's eyes fluttered a few times as he struggled to remain awake.

Makayla felt tears burn in her eyes. "C'mon, Riley, you have to tell me what to do! Where's your phone?" She starting feeling around his pockets but came up empty-handed. She picked up her phone again, tapping frantically at her screen. She didn't care if Riley got mad at her anymore. She was going to call Gibbs. Her phone was unresponsive as she tried to bring up the number pad to dial out. There had to be a way to get it to work.

She looked to see that Riley had shut his eyes and she reached out to gently shake him awake. "Riley, c'mon, stay with me," she said, her lower lip quivering. Riley losing consciousness meant something had to be seriously wrong with him. He must be more hurt than even he realized. Riley moaned but didn't open his eyes again. "What am I going to do?" Makayla muttered as she choked back a sob. Think Makayla, she told herself. She opened the glove compartment and began pulling out random items hoping to find Riley's phone. She quickly glanced around the truck before getting out and running around to Riley's side, checking the inside of the door to see if the phone was in the door pockets. Nothing. What was she going to do?

She gently shook Riley again. "Where is your phone, Riley?"

Riley didn't stir this time.

Makayla wiped tears from her face as she choked back sobs. She'd been joking when she'd said she could drive. She could start the car and probably manage to steer it okay but in traffic? She shivered at the thought. Riley was right; she'd probably end up killing them both.

"Damn it," she muttered under her breath.

Hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she ran back around the truck and worked at pulling Riley's unconscious body over into the passenger side. She grunted from the exertion. Riley wasn't a lightweight by any means. He easily outweighed her by fifty pounds or more. Her heart raced in her chest as she did her best to prop him up against the door of the vehicle so she could have space to drive if need be. She then grabbed her phone again and began to frantically poke at the screen.

"Come on," she muttered. "Work!"

The cell phone flashed random screens and then suddenly a keypad appeared. Makayla choked back a sob as she dialled the first number that came to her head, chewing her lip as she heard the phone ring and ring before finally, someone picked up.

"What do you want, Kayla? I'm really busy…"

"Missy!" Makayla's heartbeat frantically in her chest when she heard her sister's familiar voice and she had to swallow her emotions enough so that she could speak. "P-please, I need your help." Her voice quivered as she choked back another sob. Her sister wasn't her favourite person but she was the only family she had close by. Melissa was two years her senior; surely, she'd know what to do.

"Makayla? What's wrong?" Compassion flooded Melissa's voice making Makayla break down into sobs. "Hey, Kayley, it's gonna be okay. Talk to me."

Makayla only sobbed harder when she heard the concern in her sister's voice. Her big sister would help her. Melissa would save them. Makayla began to talk rapidly through her sobs and choked on her words trying to explain what she knew about what happened to Riley and his injuries. Riley had driven very erratically and had taken them off the beaten path. Makayla had been so upset that she hadn't exactly paid very close attention to where he'd taken them.

"Slow down, Kayla, I can't understand you."

Makayla forced herself to take deep breaths and calm down. She'd never be able to help Riley if she lost her head. She needed to stay calm and focus.

"I think Riley is really h-hurt," she hiccupped, as she attempted to explain what she knew. "I-I dunno what to do. Riley wrecked my phone and it might cut me off…please…call Aunt Jenny or Agent Gibbs!"

"Riley? Why'd he wreck your phone?"

Makayla didn't have the energy to explain anything to her sister so her only answer was another strangled sob. Melissa and her hardly ever talked anymore and barely even acknowledged that they knew each other at school. Sharing anything about her personal life felt like a wasted effort. Makayla couldn't make out the other voices in the background as she heard her sister muffle the phone for a few moments and then return to speak to her, "Hey, Kayla, listen to me, okay? Are you listening?"

"Y-yah, I am."

"Okay, now, can you check Riley's pulse? Count how many beats you get in 30 seconds for me…"

"W-why?" asked Makayla, reaching for Riley's wrist.

"Just do it. I'm calling Aunt Jenny on another line, okay?"

Makayla nodded without thinking and tried to find Riley's pulse but couldn't feel anything. "I can't find it! Oh, my God, Melissa! What if he's…?"

"Stop it, Makayla! Try on his neck…right beside his Adam's apple. Tell me when you find it," her sister ordered.

Makayla pulled Riley's jacket away from his throat and tried to find Riley's pulse. She heaved a sigh of relief when she felt a faint pulse in his neck. "O-okay, I've got it."

"Okay, good; now hold your fingers there and count every beat for 30 seconds until I say stop. Begin now."

Makayla focussed on counting until she heard her sister say stop. "Twenty-three," she blurted out.

"Okay, good. His pulse is slow but not terrible. Would you say he's fairly physically fit?"

"Yah, he runs a lot and lifts weights and stuff."

"Okay, good. My health teacher said that lots of athletes have pulse rates under 40. Riley's is just above that so that's a good thing. He's probably in shock. Can you cover him up with anything? Or run the heat to the car…try and keep him warm."

Makayla turned on the truck and flipped the heater onto high. She was shivering as well, but she knew it was more from fear.

"Kayla…there's a lot of static…how many bars do you have?"

Makayla looked at her phone but couldn't see anything. The screen was black, and she was afraid to touch anything for fear of losing the connection. It felt like a lifeline to her. Her entire screen was shattered from Riley stepping on it.

"The screen is broken," she managed to choke out. "Missy! What am I supposed to do?"

"Do you know if your GPS is activated?"

"Isn't it always?"

"I dunno. Dad set up our phones. Look, Kayla, I can't get through to Aunt Jenny. What's Agent Gibbs' number?"

Makayla trembled. "I- I can't remember." If she could have recalled it in her panic, she would have dialled it instead of Makayla.

Makayla could hear some muffled talking in the background once again and then a lot of static. Her phone crackled and popped making her pull it away from her ear.

"I…stay…worry…" came some garbled words from Melissa's end.

"Melissa, I can't hear you!" Makayla shouted into the phone. Makayla put her ear to the phone once more but all she heard was dead air. She tapped at the screen only to see it flash on and off a few times before going black altogether.

Riley groaned and rolled his head to the side.

"Riley?" she said, her lips trembling but Riley didn't open his eyes. "I don't know what to do!"

She looked at her phone again, tapping on it in vain before finally dropping it onto the seat beside her. Would Melissa be able to contact Agent Gibbs? She knew her sister wouldn't just forget about her but Makayla didn't know how long it would take for someone to find her. She looked out the windshield and only saw blackness surrounding her. Riley had done a good job of driving them off the beaten path. Makayla covered her face in despair and dissolved into sobs.

XxXxNCISxXxx

Gibbs surveyed his brightly decorated living room and a smile spread across his face. His decorations were old and faded but somehow they still seemed to brighten up the space. He looked at his giggly girls, stringing the popcorn with some coloured O-shaped cereal that Tony must have sneaked into his cupboards without him or Abby noticing. His little girls' cheeks were flushed with excitement as they chattered and sang Christmas songs to one another. Gibbs had also grabbed some construction paper and glue, cutting strips of paper so they could make coloured chains to hang around the house. He'd strung some lights over the fireplace and was doing the same over the large picture window. He planned to purchase some newer decorations as soon as he could, but he was pleased to see how much Janessa and Aimee were enjoying their afternoon of decorating with his plain old, outdated junk. His father would approve. Jackson loved Christmas and planned to make sure he'd be back in Washington for the big day.

"Hey girls, watch," he said, as he stepped down from the ladder and plugged in the lights.

"Ohhh! Wow!" exclaimed both girls in unison as they turned to look at the lights twinkling on and off.

Janessa shot across the room flipping the lights off and stood with her mouth open in delight. "Theys so pretty, daddy," she said with a big grin on her face.

"I love Christmas!" shouted Aimee running up to Gibbs and wrapping her arms around him.

Gibbs smiled and lifted Aimee into his arms, wrapping her in a tight embrace. He loved seeing the joy radiating on her face. He wasn't sure about how much his girls remembered about previous Christmases, but he was glad to see such exuberance on their faces.

Janessa's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Will Santa finds us here, daddy?"

Gibbs pressed a kiss onto Aimee's brow before setting her feet back to the floor. "Of course he will, Sweetheart. Santa knows everything." Gibbs winked at Aimee who smirked back at him, her dark eyes twinkling. He could tell by the knowing sparkle Aimee's eyes that she was past believing in Santa herself but was happy to join in the adult game of make-believe.

"We can write him a letter, Nessie," suggested Aimee walking to the table to get some paper. "We can include our new address if you're worried, but Santa's always found us before. All those times we deployed to other places, he always knew just where we were."

Janessa wrinkled her nose. "Can we writes him a letter, daddy?"

Gibbs chuckled and walked over to sit in his chair. "Sure you can. You two write one, and we'll take it to the post office tomorrow. I heard the Santa parade is this weekend."

Janessa picked up a crayon and sank to her knees at the coffee table. "Can we goes see Santa?" Her little tongue poked out of her mouth as she tried to write some words. The littlest girl's childish script formed letters in several different directions and in a variety of sizes.

Gibbs smiled as he watched Aimee help Janessa spell words. "You bet we can. Maybe we can even convince the others to come too. I bet Abby will want to sit on Santa's knee too."

Janessa giggled. "Abby's too big. She might break his knees."

Gibbs chuckled, "Doesn't stop her from sitting on mine, does it?"

Aimee laughed. "Think Ziva will sit on his knee too?"

"Somehow, I don't see that happening," smirked Gibbs. The little girl had a mischievous look on her face, and Gibbs could almost guess what she was thinking. If Gibbs didn't know better, he'd swear she had a bit of DiNozzo blood in her. "And don't you go putting any ideas into Tony's head."

Aimee laughed harder but shrugged her shoulders innocently. "Who me?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes at her antics and leaned back in his chair as his eyes fell upon the grandfather clock on the mantel. He frowned when he realised it was well past the dinner hour. He needed to start supper or order something. He rose to his feet thinking that ordering in was his best bet since it was so late. He didn't feel like dragging out pots and pans and throwing a meal together.

"I'm going to order some pizza. Any particular kind you want?"

"Pineapple!" shouted Janessa, jumping to her feet but then being pulled back down by Aimee.

"Eww, fruit doesn't go on pizza, Ness," complained Aimee, meeting Gibbs' gaze with a smirk. It had become a running joke in the family now. Janessa loved Hawaiian pizza with extra pineapple and cheese. No one else cared for pineapple except Gibbs but he kept it on the down-low. Gibbs knew that Aimee had figured it out as well, and he'd soon discovered the little girl didn't mind picking it off her slices. Janessa didn't mind gobbling up the extra pineapple, so things just seemed to work most of the time. He was glad for that because not everything was always so easy.

"I likes pineapple," complained Janessa with a pout. She crossed her arms and glared at her sister.

Thankfully for Gibbs, Aimee wasn't in the teasing spirit, so she relented quickly. Gibbs had learned from experience that if Aimee felt like it, she could wind Janessa up into a full-blown temper tantrum. He really didn't want to ruin the moment by needing to discipline anyone. "Oh, alright, we'll have pineapple," Aimee conceded. "Can we get extra bacon too?"

"You got it," Gibbs said rounding the corner and heading to the kitchen to grab the number from his drawer.

As Gibbs went to pick up his cell phone, it vibrated and rang in his hands. He lifted a brow with an amused smirk and glanced at the number, not recognizing it.

"Hello, Jethro Gibbs speaking," he replied, hoping it wasn't a telemarketer. He had to bit his tongue to prevent himself from saying Joe's Pizza Place. Yes, the girls had put him in a silly mood.

"Agent Gibbs?" said a very soft voice that reminded him of Makayla.

"Mackie?"

"No, it's Missy. Makayla's sister…I…uh…" she hesitated.

"Hi, Missy. Sorry, you and Makayla sound so much alike on the phone. What's up?" His heart rate increased a little thinking that maybe Makayla had taken off again or something, but he was sure Riley would have called him if that had been the case. Mackie and Riley should have been together by now. Gibbs glanced at the clock on the microwave to confirm the time. He knew one thing for sure; Melissa wouldn't have called him unless she was desperate. She didn't really even know him.

"Makayla called me, Agent Gibbs. She's in trouble," blurted the girl, her voice quaking and revealing her distress. Gibbs could hear a male voice in the background telling her to calm down and speak clearly. "I don't know where she is. Her phone cut us off, and when I tried to call back it went directly to her voice mail. Her friend, Riley, was in a fight or something and I think he's hurt badly. He lost consciousness and his pulse is very slow."

Gibbs frowned, trying to wrap his head around the information. Riley's phone call from earlier must have been about more than the youth let on. Gibbs clenched his jaw, silently berating himself for not pushing Riley further to talk with him. The kid was so damned stubborn and Gibbs was always trying to pacify him because of his propensity to fly off the handle.

"What's wrong with her phone?" Gibbs reached from his cordless kitchen phone. He needed to get Tim McGee tracking Makayla's phone. It seemed odd to him that Makayla's phone would have lost service. He was positive Mike Wallace would have good carriers and phone plans for his girls.

"I don't know exactly. She said Riley damaged it but she was really upset, so it was hard to make out what she was saying. Her phone kept cutting in and out."

"Hang on, Melissa. Don't hang up. I need to make another quick call."

"Okay." Melissa's voice was a little steadier now probably thanks to the male voice Gibbs heard soothing her in the background. The voice sounded young but was authoritative, soft-spoken and assuring.

Gibbs heard McGee pick up and started speaking before the younger man could even identify himself. "McGee, I need you to track Makayla's phone for me."

"Boss?" McGee's voice sounded bewildered.

"Just do it, McGee. I'll explain later. Is Tony around?"

"Yah, he's right here."

"Lemme speak to him."

Once Tony came on the line, Gibbs quickly explained what he knew. Tony said he would handle it making sure some agents followed the GPS tracking. Gibbs was grateful. He couldn't leave his girls alone and it didn't make sense to go off half-cocked when he didn't know for sure if he needed to panic yet.

Gibbs hung up and could hear quiet voices murmuring in the background. "Melissa, I have some agents tracking Makayla's phone. We'll find her. Does your Aunt know?"

"No, I can't get a hold of her. I didn't want to leave messages that would freak her out."

Gibbs had to admit that was probably a wise decision. Jenny Shephard wasn't normally fazed by much but lately, anything to do with her sister or her nieces seemed to make her lose her level-headedness.

"Where are you now?"

"On campus in the dorms…well, now I'm in the common room but I'm staying in my dorm."

"Okay, try not to worry. I'll call you when I know anything."

The young girl thanked him and hung up.


	21. Chapter 21

_**Hey readers!**_

_**I know, I know...it's been so long since I updated. Life has been busy! **_

_**I finally managed to complete and edit an update to this story.**_

_**Please read Perspective by 90TheGeneral09 chapter 4 in particular...his story is amazing and it fits in so well with my story. I call it chapter 20 and a half. :)**_

_**Thanks for all your reviews and follows and private messages. **_

_**Hang in there...I'm adjusting to a newborn again..it means very little sleep plus my schedule is full!**_

_**I hope you are all staying warm. It's so cold here -26 today but at least I'm not in Newfoundland...did you see all the snow there?**_

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_**blessings and love,**_

_**Jenny :)**_

Tears trickled down her cheeks as Makayla hugged her knees closer to her chest and stared at the cell phone in her hands. She'd been in the waiting room all night, waiting to hear about how Riley was doing. Tony and Tim had both popped in on separate occasions to see if she was okay, but neither one was able to stay with her for long. She felt isolated and anxious, wishing Gibbs would find her. Tony had said Gibbs would come to her as soon as he could. She'd managed to get some sleep but it had been fraught with unsettling nightmares of Riley being injured or dying. Left alone with her thoughts, she berated herself for being so hopeless and weak. When the ambulance arrived on the scene, raw panic engulfed her. As much as she tried to swallow the waves of rippling panic, the gravity of the situation took root causing her to tremble. Her teeth chattered and she bit her tongue hard enough to draw blood. She could still remember the metallic taste that filled her mouth.

Strong arms had enveloped her, pulling her away from the scene while she cried out Riley's name. Then she watched helplessly, wrapped in a blanket so heavy she could hardly stand on her feet, as they attached tubes all over Riley and then lift him gently onto a gurney. No one noticed his cell phone drop out of his back pocket but she did. As soon as she'd had the chance, she snatched it up in her hands. The realization that his cell phone had been there all along and she hadn't found it smacked her right in the face.

Makayla looked at the phone through blurry eyes as she ran her fingers over the smooth screen. She gasped for breath as she attempted to stifle the sob choking her. Riley might be dead and it was her fault. She should have found his cell phone earlier and called 911. She should have checked his back pockets instead of giving in to her fear. How could she have been so careless?

A warm hand on her head caused her to startle and look upwards.

"I got here as soon as I could, honey. Sorry it took me so long. You okay?"

Burning tears blurred her vision as she flung herself into Gibbs' arms. He embraced her, cupping the back of her head with his large hand, allowing her to sob out her fears.

"I-it's all my fault, Gibbs! Riley…I'm so sorry," she sobbed unable to articulate her thoughts.

"Sh…it's okay, Mackie. Riley's gonna be fine…sh now," his deep voice crooned in a way Makayla had never heard him do with her. It sounded so soothing, so safe and comforting like he could fix anything with just his voice.

"He…I…" she continued to sob while wrapping her arms tighter around him, hoping to just disappear inside his calming embrace. She couldn't bear the guilt she felt.

She felt him sit down, pulling her onto his knee and hugging her close, rocking her like she was a small child. She wasn't. But a tiny part of her couldn't resist the security and that part was winning the battle.

"He…I…" she tried again but again dissolved into more hiccupping sobs.

"It's okay, Mackie, you don't need to talk right now," he said in a soft voice, still rocking her. "Aw, sweetie; I'm so sorry I left you alone for so long."

Makayla choked a few times feeling like she might be sick but she forced herself to hold up Riley's cell phone. "It's…it's Riley's…" she managed to say swallowing back more sobs. Her voice sounded strangled.

Gibbs lifted a brow and took the phone.

"It's my f-fault if he dies…" she managed to say, her voice weak.

Gibbs pulled away and cupped her cheek with his hand. "Listen to me, Mak. Riley is not going to die. He's awake and currently as worried about you as you are about him."

Makayla blinked. "He's conscious?"

"Yes, and he's fine. A handful of broken ribs, a concussion, split lip and a whole boatload of bruises and stitches but he'll live. Probably'll wish he hadn't once the heavier pain meds wear off." Makayla felt her whole body go limp as Gibbs quickly compensated for it and wrapped his arms around her once more. He pressed a kiss on her brow making Makayla feel even worse. Despite his gruffness, Gibbs really was a nice guy. Him being nice to her was only making her feel worse.

Makayla felt more hot tears wash over her cheeks. "He stepped…I mean…my phone wouldn't work to call for help and I couldn't find his…it dropped out of his pocket when they put him in the ambulance…"

Gibbs cupped her chin again. "That's not your fault," he assured her, looking into her red-rimmed eyes.

"I should have called 911…" she countered. Being left alone for so long had given her too much time in her own head to wallow in her poor decisions. She had replayed everything over and over ad nauseam realizing that she had done everything wrong, and it could have cost Riley his life. Everything anyone had ever said about her being a useless loser rang true in her head. She quite literally was not worth the skin she was in.

Gibbs' face turned stern. "Stop that! I can see your head drowning in the what-if's and that's not helpful right now." Makayla blinked a handful of times and stared at him, tears still falling down her cheeks. "Tell me what happened to Riley."

Makayla stood to her feet and turned to face Gibbs. She really wanted to talk to Riley before she told Gibbs anything. She didn't know what Riley wanted Gibbs to know and she didn't want to betray his confidence.

"Can I see Riley?" she asked, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"After you talk to me. What happened?" Gibbs' face remained stern and it made Makayla fidget.

"I…I…uh…don't really know. He came to pick me up and he was all beat up…"

"He didn't say anything to you, Mackie? I find that hard to believe. You didn't question him being beaten up?"

"He had his hoodie on, so I didn't even notice at first," she said, swallowing down the lump forming in her throat.

Gibbs took her trembling hands in his and rubbed the back of them with his thumbs. "Mak, I need to know what happened. I can't help him unless I know."

"Can't you ask him?" she almost whimpered.

"Trust me, I will but I want to know what he told you."

"Gibbs, I need to see Riley. Please…"

Gibbs released her hands and scrubbed a hand across his own face, pinching his nose in what Makayla recognized as frustration. "Mak, this isn't a request. I need to know what happened." Gibbs' voice was very quiet, yet more firm than she'd ever heard, causing Makayla to take a few steps back.

"Gibbs…" she whined.

Gibbs rose to his feet and reached for her hands once again, casting a stern glare in her direction as he pulled her closer to him. Makayla swallowed. She had seen many expressions on Gibbs' face before but this was a new one for her. Perhaps this was his intimidating interrogator look. Whatever it was, she didn't like it; not even a little. It frightened her.

"What happened?" he repeated.

Makayla's eyes met his steely ones and she shivered. "H-he said he went to see a guy he knew from the Marines…" she stammered.

"And," Gibbs prodded.

"The guy used to bully him back and…um…Riley wanted to make it stop so he went to confront him I think. It was the same guy who cornered us at the ice cream place awhile back…"

"When DiNozzo and McGee intervened?"

"Yah."

"Go on."

"There's isn't anything else to say, Gibbs. The guy beat him up…"

"Why?"

Makayla rolled her eyes and tried to pull away. "I don't know…"

Gibbs narrowed his eyes. "Did he tell you his name?"

Makayla's first instinct was to lie to Gibbs. She wanted to speak with Riley first before divulging anything that Riley wouldn't want Gibbs to know. Deep down, she wanted Gibbs to know the truth but she felt like it was Riley's story to tell, not hers. Riley must have reasons why he wanted to handle things on his own, even if she disagreed with him. _But what about the guy wanting to know Intel about Gibbs?_ Her thoughts berated her as she began to worry her bottom lip.

"I don't know…he didn't tell me his name and I didn't ask," The lie tumbled off her lips leaving a bad taste in her mouth. Hadn't she learned her lesson about lying to Gibbs?

Gibbs heaved a loud sigh and took a few steps away from her, running a hand through his hair. He kept his back to her for several minutes before turning to face her once again.

"Listen to me very carefully, Mak. Riley is okay this time, but someone gave him a thorough beating which says a lot because Riley isn't a pushover being that he trained as a Marine. Next time, however, Riley might not be so lucky! If you know something and you're not telling me…" Gibbs' voice trailed off. The last thing he wanted to do was issue a threat he'd need to follow through on. He was trying to avoid that kind of thing. It was hard to teach an old dog new tricks.

Makayla's lower lip quivered. "Please, Gibbs, I need to see Riley."

Gibbs clenched his jaw a moment and then shook his head. "Yah, I know you do, but you see, Mak, I think you're not being completely truthful with me. My gut says you know more than you're telling me, so I think I'm going to talk with Riley first."

"But, Gibbs, please! I need to see if he's okay." Waves of renewed panic washed over Makayla as she thought about being left alone again, and waiting to see for herself that Riley was okay.

Gibbs pointed a finger in her direction. "Sit down, Mak." He demanded. She sat down in alarm at the tone of his voice and watched as he pulled out his cell phone. Her heart pounded in her chest as he turned his back on her to make his call. She could hear him speaking softly but couldn't figure out who he was speaking with. After a few moments, he turned to face her once more. "Ziva is coming to wait with you while I talk with Riley…"

"Gibbs," she pleaded, tears washing down her cheeks once more. "Please let me see Riley…"

Gibbs' face softened and he took a step closer, placing a gentle hand on her head. "You will, honey. Be patient, okay? I don't know what you're hiding but I think it's better that I speak with Riley alone first."

XxXxNCISxXxX

Riley grimaced, gasping in pain as he attempted to sit up; then, thinking better of it, he relaxed back into the pillow with a defeated sigh. There was no way he was going anywhere without help for a while. There wasn't a single part of him that didn't ache. It had been a long time since his body had taken such a pounding. He was getting too soft. Back in his days of Marines boot camp, he was abused so often, it became routine to him. He'd been able to suck up the pain and keep moving but not this time. Broken ribs seriously sucked.

As he relaxed into the pillow, his thoughts turned to Makayla. How could he have been so stupid? He shouldn't have picked her up at school and dragged her into his mess. Gibbs was going to kill him and Riley couldn't even blame the guy if he did. What had he been thinking? He was mixing up his new life with his old one and that wasn't going to work. He should have known better. He didn't deserve to be happy. Makayla was just an innocent little kid, for Pete's sake, and he'd put her in danger. Riley raised his arm with a grimace and rubbed his temples; His throbbing head was making him nauseous. He cursed under his breath. Makayla was a little girl. Why was he allowing himself to get so emotionally attached to her? He had no business forming any attachments. He groaned and cursed again. But like it or not, he had, and now he was in trouble because he cared. A lot.

The truth was he really liked Makayla. She wasn't just some dumb kid. She was beautiful and talented and he didn't just like her. He like-liked her, and that was risky. For both him and for her.

A sharp knock at the door pulled Riley from his reverie but before he could say anything to send whoever it was away, Gibbs entered his room. Gibbs had visited him earlier when he'd first gained consciousness, and Riley wondered why he was back so soon. Apprehension puckered his brow when Gibbs walked towards him with a more formidable expression gracing his face.

"Where's Mak? Is she okay?"

Gibbs nodded, pulling a chair over and sitting down. "Other than being worried sick about you, she's fine. Ziva is with her."

"Can I see her?"

"After we talk."

"There's nothing to talk about."

Gibbs steely blue-grey eyes peered into his. "I disagree."

"Gibbs…"

"Riley, I've given you plenty of space up until now, but it's obvious to me that you need a little more help than you were letting on…"

"I can handle it!" snapped Riley, grimacing and clutching his middle as sharp pain radiated throughout his chest and torso.

"No, you can't, and frankly, why should you? No man is an island, kiddo."

Riley rolled his eyes at the cliché. "I said I can handle it so back off."

"When you drag Makayla into it, your problems become mine," Gibbs growled.

Riley gasped, gritting his teeth as he forced himself into a sitting position. "If I thought she was in any danger, I would have called you. I called before, didn't I? She wasn't in any danger!"

"You drove my truck out into the middle of nowhere, Riley, and you lost consciousness! That left a 14-year-old girl stranded on her own. She was scared to death! What did you expect her to do?"

"I didn't plan on passing out…" shouted Riley in his own defence. It wasn't like he planned to leave Makayla alone. He hadn't even known he was injured so badly. All he'd wanted to do was spend time with Makayla.

"Anything could have happened. You knew you were hurt. What were you thinking dragging her out to an abandoned road? What if she'd taken it into her head to try and drive you to the hospital or something? We both know that Makayla can act impulsively without thinking about the consequences. She cares for you a lot, Riley. Maybe more than you realize. You're damned lucky she managed to get a hold of her sister despite the fact that you damaged her phone. As it is, a bunch of teenagers almost died last night trying to get to you."

Riley's blood ran cold. "Wait, what? Who?"

Gibbs paused and took a deep breath. "Don't mention it to Mackie until I do, but her sister, Melissa…her boyfriend's brother and sister were t-boned by a truck that ran a red light," Riley's eyes widened in horror. "They're all going to be okay," Gibbs rushed on to reassure him. "The point is your problems are not just your problems. Whether you like it or not, they affect other people." Riley's head began to swim at the what-ifs whirling through his head. He never wanted anyone to get hurt and now… "And stop blaming yourself," continued Gibbs, seeming to guess where his thoughts had travelled. "No one is blaming you. But Riley, you've got to start trusting the people who love you. Let us in."

"Why the hell were they trying to come to help me? They don't even know me," said Riley, his lower lip trembling. Stupid idiots. Why would they do something so reckless?

Gibbs rose to his feet and encouraged Riley to lie back down once again. Riley grimaced but complied. Once he was resting back on the pillow, Gibbs sighed. "They don't need to know you to help you. It was enough for them to know that you're Makayla's friend." Gibbs took a deep breath and without missing a beat changed the topic abruptly. "Who beat you up?"

Riley's eyes widened. "None of your business!" he snapped, his head still reeling over Gibbs' previous disclosure. The sudden change of topic left his head spinning.

Gibbs tightened his grip on Riley's shoulder. "I asked who. Don't make me repeat myself."

"I'm not going to…"

"Damn it, Riley!" Gibbs gave him a gentle shake. "What's it going to take to get through that thick skull of yours that you don't have to do things on your own anymore? I'm here. Let me help you."

Tears rolled down Riley's cheeks as he stared up at Gibbs. Riley was drowning in his own fears and failures and Gibbs was offering him a life ring. Why couldn't he just take it?

"I don't need your help…" His pride just wouldn't let him. He'd been forging his own way for too long. Riley stubbornly looked at Gibbs, his lower lip trembling; he must have looked like a stupid little kid.

"The hell you don't."

"I have to do this on my own…" Riley allowed his voice to hold some pleading in it this time. He needed Gibbs to understand.

Gibbs leaned in closer, getting right in Riley's face. "No, you don't. I'm here. Let me help."

Tears continued to fall down his cheeks and he shook his head.

Gibbs grabbed his chin in his calloused hand, forcing Riley to look him in the eye. "Who did this to you?"

"Trace!" he screamed in the older man's face, finally conceding to the pressure. "His name is Trace. Are you happy? Does knowing his name make you feel better?"

Gibbs released Riley and stood to his full height once more. "It's a start. Who's Trace?"

Riley looked away, angrily wiping at the tears on his face. Damn Gibbs for breaking through his well-built façade. "The son of a bitch who put me here."

Gibbs' hands found his hips and he sighed. "Makayla said you met him while training for the Marines. Was he in your unit?"

Riley closed his eyes and cursed under his breath. Makayla shouldn't have told Gibbs anything.

"Hey!" Riley's eyes flew open at the sound of Gibb's loud, cross voice. He blinked when the older man's finger was within inches of his nose. "Don't think for a minute that Makayla betrayed your trust. I'd have taken her across my knee if she didn't tell me what I wanted to know. Is that what you want? I've had enough of secrets. Now, cut the bullshit and tell me about Trace."

Riley took a long deep breath and exhaled slowly, biting his lip to keep from cursing in pain. Broken ribs made breathing painful enough but sharp inhalations were definitely not his friend.

"What did Mak tell you?"

"Not much, just that he was the same guy who cornered the two of you at the ice cream Shoppe awhile back. She didn't give up that information willingly. She's a loyal little thing; I hope you realize that."

Riley clenched his jaw thinking about Makayla getting in trouble because of him. He'd never forgive himself if he was the cause of her getting punished.

"You didn't…"

"I didn't need to. I have other ways of persuasion."

"Leave her out of it, Gibbs. I never told her much…"

Gibbs dropped his hands to his sides and sat down in the uncomfortable green hospital chair beside Riley's bed. "I think both of you have known me long enough to know that I don't appreciate being lied to. I interrogate people for a living. You're both fooling yourselves if you think I can't figure out when you're lying to me."

"Okay, okay." Riley puffed out his cheeks in defeat. He was tired and sore, and he didn't have it in him to fight anymore.

Gibbs cast a piercing look in Riley's direction. "When you left my house, you said you would call me if you couldn't handle it…"

"I handled it…"

"No! You got yourself beaten within an inch of your life! That's not handling it. You should have called me instead of picking up Makayla."

"God, you're such a pain in the ass!" Riley hissed, his anger burning hot. Despite being tired, he wanted to punch Gibbs. Why couldn't the obstinate man just leave him alone?

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs clenched his fists together, purposely keeping his frustration hidden from Riley's sight. What was it gonna take for this kid to trust him and let him in? The stubborn, foolhardy boy glared at him, anger radiating off him in waves. Gibbs wasn't sure he'd ever met such a cocky, obstinate kid in his life. '_Except maybe yourself, son,' _he heard his father's voice say. Gibbs worked hard not to roll his eyes. He often heard his father's voice when he was dealing with one of the kids. Why did it seem that you never truly understood or appreciated your parents until you had kids? Gibbs forced himself to take a deep calming breath. Losing his cool wouldn't help anything. Riley's belligerence wasn't new to him. He just needed to find a way to get the boy's respect without losing his own.

"Riley, tell me who Trace is."

The kid shook his head silently, attitude and teenage rebellion billowing from him in waves.

"Trace isn't exactly a common name. You realize that right? Whether it's his first or last name, I will find him."

"Back off, Gibbs!" Riley hissed. "I may be 16 but I'm not some idiot snot-nosed kid you can push around and intimidate. I've dealt with worse than you."

Gibbs sighed and backed off. Riley was correct on that front. He'd been pushed around and bullied his whole life. Trying to strong-arm him wasn't the right tactic. "I never said you were," he said quietly. "C'mon on, Rye; talk to me. Let me help you get past this crap and move on. You have your whole life ahead of you. Don't let some jackass ruin the progress you're making."

Riley heaved a brusque sigh, immediately regretting it. His face paled a little as he worked to deal with the sudden jolt of pain. Gibbs sympathized with him. He'd probably broken every one of his ribs at one time or another; it was no joking matter. Riley grimaced and a few tears escaped down his cheeks. Brushing them away, Riley gave Gibbs a weary look and then shook his head mumbling under his breath.

"I met him at Parris Island. My head was so screwed up then that I could hardly think straight let alone figure out who was my friend. A bunch of guys were playing poker at the mess and Trace dealt me in. He seemed nice enough at first."

"So, he was another recruit?"

"No. I dunno what unit he belonged to, but he wasn't a recruit."

"Why was he in your mess? They don't mix recruits…"

"How the hell should I know?"

Gibbs raised a placating hand. "Alright…calm down. Go on…"

"I don't know what else you want me to say. We played poker. He and a bunch of other guys hung around during our free time periods; probably just hoping to score some easy cash from some shitty players. Anyway, Adams was being a prick even during free time. Our downtime was supposed to be D.I. free but that didn't stop Adams. He made it a sport to hassle us. Trace stepped in and told him to bugger off and leave the recruits alone."

"Damned idiot should have reported Adams right there and then," grumbled Gibbs. "Recruits are entitled to their downtime without exception. Let me guess…he decided you owed him one?"

"No, Adams really roughed him up. Made him a spectacle of him, you know. After that, no one dared mess with Adams. I couldn't blame them. Anyone who even dared to confront him ended up in the infirmary. The fact that Trace spoke up when no one else did made him a sort of bigshot among the recruits after that. Everyone liked him."

"Okay, so what happened?"

Riley worried his lip. "I was an easy target."

"East target for what?" prompted Gibbs, feeling bile rise up in him. Riley had already been abused enough by his drill instructor. Gibbs sincerely hoped that this Trace guy hadn't waited his turn to toy with the boy. Things were complicated enough already to add another issue to the mix.

"He…uh…well, I guess you could say he threatened to make things a whole hell of a lot worse for me if I didn't cooperate with him."

"Cooperate with him? What do you mean?"

Riley groaned. "It was bad enough what Adams was doing but Trace…he…uh…one time he found me being uh…well, you know, in a compromising position." The words seem to get caught in Riley's throat as he paused to clear his throat, a haunted expression flooding across his face. "At first, I thought things could finally stop. Trace had come through before so I thought he'd do it again. I thought he was a good guy. When Trace walked in, it caught Adams off guard…really messed him up for few minutes." Riley closed his eyes as a few rogue tears escaped. "It was almost a relief, you know? I was sure Trace would report Adams, and I could finally get free of..." He cleared his throat again. "But that was too good to be true. I dunno, maybe Adams got to him. Paid him to keep his mouth shut, maybe? Who knows, but after that, he blackmailed me."

Gibbs kept his expression neutral but inside his gut was churning. It made him sick to his stomach to know the kind of abuse Riley lived through in his life. The kid just couldn't catch a break. "How?"

"Said he'd blabber to everyone what he saw…only what he'd say he saw and what happened wouldn't be the same if you know what I mean." Gibbs nodded, forcing himself to swallow the bad taste forming in his mouth. Riley didn't need to see how upset he felt. "Anyway, after that, he owned me. At first, he didn't ask for much, cigarettes, drugs and alcohol, easy enough to get if you knew the right people. But after a while, his demands started to get harder to meet. My mental health was getting worse and it was hard to keep it together, let alone get the stuff he wanted."

"I can imagine," sympathized Gibbs, his voice soft.

"I thought I'd never see him again once I took off. Last I'd heard he was deployed so when he showed up at the ice cream Shoppe…well, I was taken off guard but I didn't think much of it and he never bothered me, called me or anything…not until today. I thought I could talk to him and that'd be it."

"I see." Gibbs ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair thoughtfully. "I think we both know that wasn't a wise decision. Predators like Trace don't just go away under their own steam, especially considering you seemed to be such a lucrative person to him. So, what does he want from you?"

Riley looked away from Gibbs. "I don't know…we didn't make it that far into the conversation…"

Gibbs knew that Riley wasn't being truthful. "Riley."

Tears shimmered in the boy's eyes but he blinked them away as fast as they came. "I don't know, Gibbs. When can I see Makayla?"

Gibbs was quiet for a few moments before standing to his feet. He knew there was more to the story than Riley was telling him, but he was thankful for what the boy had shared. This Trace guy was going to regret the day he stepped back into Riley's life. Gibbs had connections that only he knew about. Trace would be lucky if he ever saw North America again. There were places in the Middle East that could keep Marines occupied for a lifetime. Trace was about to get permanently relocated.

Gibbs walked towards the window and stared out at the parking lot. Cars were coming and going like they always did. He focussed on one car in particular as a young woman got out of her car and unbuckled a small child from a car seat. It made him think of his own little girls. It was uncanny how much his life had changed over the past year. Life had given him a second chance. As Gibbs turned to speak to Riley, the door to the room burst open.

"Let me alone, Ziva! I want to see Riley!"

Gibbs saw Ziva run up behind a determined Makayla, grabbing her by the arm. Makayla shook her off and ran right into Gibbs, who had closed the space between them.

"I am sorry, Gibbs. I tried to stop her…" explained Ziva as she stood behind Makayla, looking frustrated.

Gibbs waved his hand. "It's okay, Ziver.

Riley perked up. "Mak!"

Makayla scooted around Gibbs and towards Riley, hugging him tightly. "Oh, God, I'm so glad you're okay. You are okay, aren't you?"

Gibbs bit back a smirk of sympathy when Riley moaned out loud when Makayla roughly embraced him.

"I'm fine," Riley said, gasping for air, despite trying to remain nonchalant.

Makayla's eyes widened and she pulled away. "I'm so sorry, Riley. Did I hurt you?"

Riley took a few minutes to regain his composure and shook his head. "I'm good, honest." He groaned as he worked to sit up. Gibbs walked over and helped Makayla arrange Riley so he could sit up more comfortably.

"Gibbs, if you do not need me, I am going to head out," replied Ziva with a warm smile in Riley's direction. "I am glad you are recovering well, Riley."

Gibbs nodded. "Thanks for all your help, Ziver"

"It was not a problem." With those final words, Ziva disappeared from the room, closing the door behind her.

Gibbs turned to Makayla, pointing a finger in her face and pinning her with a stern look. "As for you, I told you to stay put until I was finished speaking with Riley. I don't appreciate you disobeying me, young lady." Gibbs narrowed his eyes. "Nor do I appreciate the deceit, from either one of you." He pointed at both of them.

Makayla's face paled, her lower lip forming into a pleading pout.

"Lay off the guilt trip, Gibbs. Geez," quipped Riley, rolling his eyes, not the least bit taken aback by Gibbs' mock sternness.

Gibbs took a step back sizing up both miscreants in his midst. He was obviously outnumbered by their desire to be with one another. He could finish talking with Riley later. For now, he wanted to make a few phone calls. He considered the two teens for a moment before his stern expression morphed into a smile. He was getting soft in his olden days. He was glad both kids were safe and not any worse for wear. Between his girls and these teenagers, he was going to end up completely grey before his time.

"I wanted to see Riley…" mumbled Makayla in explanation, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips as well.

Gibbs laughed out loud and shook his head. "I never would have guessed." He wrapped her in a warm embrace and planted a kiss on her brow. "How about you keep him company for a couple of hours for me? I need to make a few phone calls…"

"Gibbs," moaned Riley, his own face paling.

Gibbs figured the young man had already guessed what his plans were over the next couple of hours. He patted the young Marine on the leg with a warm smile. "Get some rest. We'll talk some more later."

Riley puffed out his cheeks in consternation as Gibbs left the room.


	22. Chapter 22

_**Happy Valentine's day to my readers.**_

_**I don't have much time to write these days, but here is an update for you.**_

_**I hope you enjoy.**_

_**Thanks to all my faithful reviewers. You inspire me to keep coming back to post more.**_

_**Many blessings.**_

_**Jenny :)**_

Riley tossed off the blankets roughly, grimacing and cursing under his breath. "Help me, Mak." Makayla frowned, not understanding what he was doing. "Get my clothes out the closet."

"What? Why?"

With pain rippling through him, Riley managed to sit up and swing his legs to the floor. "Because Gibbs is about to do something really stupid."

Makayla rushed closer to Riley grabbing his arm to steady him as he attempted to stand. She watched his face grow pale and stumble to hold his weight only to lose his footing forcing him to sit back down once more.

"What are you talking about?"

Riley puffed out his cheeks and looked up at Makayla, frustration on his face. "He's going after Trace, Mak. He has no idea what he's getting into. I need to find Trace and handle this myself."

Makayla shook her head. "That's ridiculous. Gibbs is an NCIS agent, Riley. You don't think he can handle himself?"

"He doesn't know the whole story!" Riley snapped. He rose to his feet more slowly this time and managed to stay standing. He shuffled across the room towards the small armoire that held his clothing.

Makayla followed him, opening the door and grabbing his dark, dirty jeans, torn shirt and sweater before he could. She held them behind her back and took a few steps away from him. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Give me my clothes!"

"Not until you tell me what's going on."

"Makayla," Riley said, seething in frustration. He tried to reach for his clothes again, but Makayla stepped back. The sudden movement made him wince.

"You can't even move without flinching. How do you expect to take on Trace again? Do you even know where he is? Come on; tell me what's really going on here!"

Riley glared at her and reached for his jeans, yanking them free from her hands. Makayla scowled at him while Riley gingerly worked to get them on. Despite Makayla not agreeing with what he was doing, she moved forward to help him stay steady on his feet. Riley gave her a weak smile of appreciation. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Makayla was right. The pain was hardly bearable now and he was heavily drugged. What was he going to do when the pain meds wore off? He leaned against the wall huffing from the exertion. He looked into Makayla's pleading eyes and sighed. "I don't remember what I said to him."

Makayla furrowed her brows. "What?"

"Trace—I don't remember what I said to him."

"What difference does it make?"

"Makayla." His dark eyes were pleading with her to understand. "The guy was giving me a beat down and I panicked. Suddenly, I was back at Parris Island and all I could do then…" His voice trailed off, not wanting to admit how he survived. "I blacked out. I could've said anything to him. I could've told him where Gibbs lives. Don't you get how serious that is?"

Makayla's eyes widened.

"I need to know—"

"We have to tell Gibbs." Makayla took a few steps towards the door but Riley grabbed her by the arm, a pleading look on his face.

"Please, Mak, don't. I can handle it."

Makayla shook her head, tears shimmering in her emerald green eyes. "No, Riley, you can't. If you won't tell Gibbs then I will. He needs to know the truth so he can help you."

Riley held her arm tightly. "Mackie, no, listen to me. Trace isn't just some run of the mill Marine. He's…well, let's just say he's well connected. Gibbs thinks he can make him go away but he can't. I can't tell you any more than that. You just have to trust me on this. Gibbs needs to keep his nose out of it for his own sake and for that of his girls. He's not a free agent anymore. He's got kids."

Makayla hit Riley with an imploring look. "I do trust you, Riley. I think you're an amazing guy, but I also think you underestimate Agent Gibbs. Listen, I didn't think he could help me with my situation at school but he did. Did you know he knows my headmaster at Xavier?"

Riley lifted a brow in disbelief. "What?"

"Yah, I know. Weird, right? Apparently, they served together in the Marines or something." She waved her hand to dismiss the topic further. "But that's a story for another time. The point I'm trying to make is that Gibbs has connections too, probably more than either one of us could even speculate. Please, Riley, just tell Gibbs the truth. Let him help you. I know he can help."

"Mak, this is different—"

"How?"

Riley closed his eyes for a minute, willing himself to sort out his jumbled thoughts. Makayla didn't know the whole story and she never would. No one would if he could help it. It was bad enough she knew what she did about him. Riley had to handle Trace on his own.

"Just gimme my shirt." He reached for his shirt and Makayla handed it to him, a look of uncertainty on her face. Warily putting his arms through the sleeves, he summoned up the energy to fasten then grabbed his shoes from the cabinet. The pain he felt was only going to get a lot worse once the pain meds wore off; he needed to find a way to cope with it now. He'd done it before and he'd do it again. It was all about mind over matter. It was about separating his mind from his body. He could do this.

"I need you to stall Gibbs for me."

"Riley—"

He put a finger on her lips. "Listen, I'm going to slip out and down the stairs." He explained a bit of his plan to Makayla as he felt around his pockets for his phone. He was hoping that he could give her just enough details so she wouldn't worry but not enough for her to be a hindrance to him should she decide to tell Gibbs. He had a few ideas of who he could contact. He'd kept in touch with a few of his buddies from Marine boot camp. They'd remained faithful to him throughout the whole ordeal with Adams. Some of them had even had the guts to testify against the drill instructor. "You see my cell?"

"I gave it to Gibbs."

Riley groaned. "Why?"

Makayla's face paled and tears filled her eyes once again. "I thought you were gonna die, Riley. I looked everywhere in the truck for your cell but I couldn't find it." This time a strangled sob choked off her words and Riley's heart broke when he saw how upset Makayla was. He inwardly kicked himself for hurting her. Gibbs was right. He shouldn't have gone to pick her up. He'd dragged her into his problems and put her in a situation she never should have had to handle on her own. "It fell out of your pocket when they loaded you into the ambulance…it was my fault."

Riley's eyes widened. "What? No. Stop thinking that. None of this is your fault."

Riley walked towards Makayla but she held up her hands to keep him away from her.

"I'm not going to lie to Gibbs for you. If you leave, I'm calling him and telling him everything you've told me."

Riley felt his temper bubble up within him. Makayla was forcing his hand and he didn't like it one bit. He didn't want to hurt her or anyone else but he also knew he would do what he had to do to keep everyone safe. If she wasn't going to help him, he'd take her with him.

Riley walked over to the window, resting his hands on the sill, and looking out into the sunshine of the day. His room overlooked the parking lot. He was quiet for a moment, scanning the lot carefully as he finalized his plans.

Makayla came up behind him and touched his arm. Her eyes were shimmering in unshed tears; the light seemed to capture the emerald colour making her eyes appear to sparkle like jewels. Something about her eyes captivated him, making it difficult to speak or keep his thoughts straight. "I like you, Riley," she said in a whisper. "I care what happens to you. I don't know why I feel so connected to you, but I do and I'm scared to death you're in over your head with all this. What aren't you telling me?"

Riley turned to Makayla, his dark brown eyes broody and sorrowful. He clenched his jaw as he stared deeply into her mesmerizing eyes. Her sudden confession caught him by surprise but a part of him understood. He felt drawn to her too. For a long time. He just hadn't wanted to admit it to himself. _She's a kid_. Just a kid. He shook his head as he drew in a long breath. Who was he kidding? God, what was she doing to him? His mixed-up emotions weren't helping him think clearly at all; they were clouding his judgement. On impulse, he leaned in and kissed her, his heart beating so fast in his chest that he felt light-headed.

Makayla gasped and pulled away slightly, her eyes startled and wide.

Riley wrapped one arm around her back and drew her in closer to him, forgetting about everything but Makayla. His heart pounded against his ribcage as he chewed on his bottom lip a moment before leaning in and even more gently pressing his lips against hers. This time he felt her respond and kiss him back. The kiss seemed to bring out a deep hunger within him as he pulled her closer and pressed himself harder against her. He felt her arms go around his neck, both of them lost in the moment until they were forced to pull away breathless. When Riley finally opened his eyes and gained his wits about him, he saw tears cascading down Makayla's cheeks. She stepped away from him, placing her fingers against her lips and wrapping her arm around her middle. Her face was flushed and her eyes were wide.

"Mak…" he whispered, reaching out to stroke her cheek gently.

She shook her head to stop him from saying anything else. Words didn't seem to be enough to explain his emotions at that moment anyway. They stood looking into each other's eyes. Riley cupped her cheek and she leaned her face into his hand as he thumbed away her tears. Things just got increasingly too complicated way too fast. What was he thinking?

Riley took a few steps away from Makayla, "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have done that."

Makayla put her hands to her face, wiping away the tears and nodded. She licked her lips and chewed on her bottom lip, remaining uncharacteristically silent. Riley didn't know how to read her silence. Was she upset with him? God, he was such an idiot. He dropped his chin to the floor, noticing the dust bunnies peeking out from under the cupboard in the room. Leave it to him to make an already complicated situation more difficult. He cleared his throat and reached carefully to grab his sweater from Makayla's hands. Makayla released her grip on the article of clothing and shivered.

"Please, Riley…let Gibbs handle this."

Riley shook his head, leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss onto her forehead. "Just give me a few hours head start. I'm not asking you to lie, Mak; I'm just asking you to not say anything unless he asks, okay?"

Makayla dropped her hands to her side and nodded.

Riley took one last long look at Makayla and fled the room.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs turned the corner towards Riley's room, running his hands through his salt and pepper hair as he puffed out his cheeks. He hadn't even needed to leave the comfort of his car to successfully accomplish what he'd set out to do. As painfully easy as it had been, calling in favours wasn't something he enjoyed doing but he'd done it. It hadn't even been hard to find out who Trace was. Michael Trace had a reputation that preceded him in the Marines. The man's character was far from exemplary. It was a wonder the man was still active in the Marines for how shady he was. The thing that seemed to keep the guy just under the radar was his connections. Turned out the guy was related to some big wig higher up, someone who was plenty happy to sweep things under the rug and clean up after the guy. Gibbs wasn't going to have it. No one messed with people Gibbs cared about and got away with it. A few runarounds and a few favours and even a threat or two later, Gibbs made sure Michael Trace was going to be spending a very long tour overseas with the man being none the wiser. There wasn't any need for revenge or picking at old wounds; this was cleaner and simpler for everyone concerned. In time, Gibbs would get Riley to talk to him about Trace but for now, he was content to get rid of the problem.

Once Gibbs reached Riley's room, he leaned his ear against the door wanting to be sure he wouldn't be interrupting the teens in a private conversation. When he didn't hear anything, he knocked and decided to wait outside until he was given permission to enter. He waited a minute or two and then knocked again. Not receiving any acknowledgment, he peeked into the window hoping to catch a glimpse but the layout of the room didn't allow him anything. He could only see the bathroom door. Taking a deep breath, he entered the room to see Makayla staring out the window with no sign of Riley.

"Hey, Mackie. Where's Riley? Did they take him to do some tests or something?"

Makayla didn't turn around but remained staring out the window. Gibbs approached her and placed a warm hand on her shoulder. He slowly turned her around to face him and the look on her face immediately made his heart jump into his throat.

"Mak?"

She swallowed hard, fresh tears chasing old ones down her cheeks. Her face looked flush and she was trembling. "He's gone."

Gibbs did his best to hide his astonishment. He hadn't expected this turn of events. Riley was injured and looked unsteady on his feet the last time he'd seen him. He certainly had no idea how brazen the kid really could be. After a few moments, the shock faded and he heaved a loud sigh.

"Where?"

Makayla shrugged. "I dunno…to find Trace…"

"Of all the stupid things," Gibbs muttered under his breath. He never expected Riley to be this stupid. The kid was heavily medicated and should have been dozing in his bed, recovering from broken ribs. What the hell was he thinking? "When?"

"I dunno…"

Gibbs did his best to stay tolerant of the girl before him. He knew she was stalling him further and it was making him lose his patience and it wasn't going to end well. "Makayla," he growled.

She covered her face and began to sob but Gibbs wasn't in the mood for drama. It was going to take a day or two for his people to track Trace down. When Marines were on leave, they didn't have to report in anywhere for their entire time off. They could come and go as they please. Trace had a 48-hour leave. It wouldn't be easy to find him.

Gibbs caught Makayla's chin in his hands and forced her to make eye contact with him. "Tell me what happened."

"Gibbs…I…" she choked back a sob but Gibbs didn't soften. These teenagers were walking on thin ice with him. He'd had enough.

"Makayla, enough of the tears. Riley could be in a lot of trouble. I know he went after Trace, so cut the hysterics and tell me what happened." He gave her chin a little shake to make sure she knew he meant business.

"He left about an hour ago. He said he needed to handle it by himself and that you don't understand what's at stake…that Trace was dangerous…" she blinked back a fresh onslaught of tears.

Gibbs dropped his hand to his side and shook his head in disbelief. "Why didn't you call me as soon as he left?"

Makayla opened and closed her mouth but no words came out.

Gibbs scowled at her and fought the sudden urge to pull her across his knee and paddle her senseless. Why wouldn't she call him? What kind of spell had Riley cast on her to make her take leave of all her senses?

XxXxNCISxXxX

Makayla swallowed back more tears as she watched Gibbs pull out his cell phone. The man gave her an exasperated look before walking into the tiny adjoining bathroom and shutting the door. She shivered when she heard his curt voice barking orders to whomever he was talking to. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out Gibbs was angry with her. Makayla sat on the edge of Riley's hospital bed and dissolved into tears once more. She was so frightened for Riley but more than that, she was confused. Navigating through first crushes was hard enough without adding life-threatening situations into the mix. She'd read enough teen romances to know that it wasn't supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be exciting. She was supposed to giggle with her friends about the first awkward kisses and spend her time daydreaming about the next time they could be together. She wasn't supposed to be worried about him getting himself killed. Suddenly she wished she had a better relationship with her big sister. If they were closer, Makayla could confide in her how confused she felt.

Makayla puffed out her cheeks, pulling herself back further onto Riley's bed. Now what? What was Gibbs going to say to her? Was he going to blame her for Riley leaving? It wasn't like she tried to stop him. But she had! She'd told him…warned him that she'd tell Gibbs. She swore she would, but why didn't she? Makayla leaned against the wall and pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her thin arms around her legs tightly. She knew exactly why she didn't. She didn't tell because Riley asked her not to and about now, she'd do anything he asked her to do, even if that meant disobeying and defying Agent Gibbs. Resting her chin on her knees, she closed her eyes and remembered how Riley's lips felt pressed against hers. It was the most wonderful and terrifying moment of her life. She felt like her whole body was electric. Her stomach filled with butterflies as a weird sensation spread over her whole body, reaching her inner core. She had never felt that feeling before and was having a difficult time processing it. It was like she'd realized she had another type of hunger, another pulse and perhaps even another heartbeat but none of the sensations were coming from the right places.

"You and me need to get a few things straight," Gibbs said gruffly, appearing as if out of nowhere.

Makayla's head flew up. She'd been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed him come back into the room. She swallowed hard when she saw the firm expression on his face. There was no doubt in her mind that she'd screwed up. Gibbs was not hiding how angry he was with her.

"Are you going to look for Riley?"

"DiNozzo's got a BOLO out. He'll turn up. Let's just hope it's before Trace and Riley meet up again. I'm not sure Riley will survive another beating in his condition."

Makayla felt her mouth go dry, "But, aren't you going to look for him yourself?"

"And do what exactly, Mak? Throw him over my shoulder and drag him back here? If he's so damned determined to get his ass kicked, then who am I to stop him? Obviously, you didn't care enough to stop him either or you would have called me!"

Makayla felt her temper flare. Gibbs had no idea how much she wanted to. He had no idea what had transpired between them and how confused she was. "Shut up! I care a lot…"

"Then why didn't you call me as soon as he left?"

"He asked me not to…"

Gibbs looked at her incredulously. "Mackie, he's injured and on really strong pain meds; he's not thinking straight." Gibbs heaved a loud sigh as he continued to stare at her. "You know, I'm getting fed up with you and Riley tag-teaming against me. I get you want to be a loyal friend, but Mak, you're both kids. You need to accept that you don't know how to handle these things on your own."

Makayla could see the pleading look in Gibbs' eye. "I know that," she whimpered. She'd already figured that out when things went south with her parents. She'd come to understand that there were so many things that she couldn't handle on her own.

Gibbs crossed his arms across his chest. "Okay, tell me what happened, starting with when Riley picked you up at school."

Makayla shook her head. There was no point in sharing anything else. She'd told Gibbs all he needed to know and besides, she knew very little anyway. "There's nothing else to tell. He picked me up at school; I didn't notice he was hurt at first and when I did, he passed out on me. I tried to call but my phone wouldn't work and I couldn't find his…" It was the partial truth without the details she knew Gibbs was fishing for.

"Where's your phone?"

Makayla squirmed.

Gibbs held out his hand. "Let me see your phone."

Makayla shook her head. Her phone had been pretty much destroyed when Riley stomped on it. Gibbs wasn't going to happy to see that. Her plan was to email her dad to say she'd dropped it or something and then he'd replace it. It certainly wouldn't have been the first time she'd destroyed a phone. Her dad had long since acquired an insurance plan that replaced cell phones without too much drama or expense. Teenage girls and broken cell phones just seemed to come hand in hand, especially with her and Melissa's track record."My dad will replace it."

Gibbs shook his head. "No, he won't. Give me the phone."

Makayla felt the palms of her hands moisten under the older man's intense glare. The cell phone seemed to burn a hole into her back pocket. "I...I left it in your truck," she stammered, hoping to stall him off. Maybe she could hide it.

Gibbs frowned and grabbed her by the wrists, pulling her towards him. Before she knew it, Gibbs sat down and effortlessly hauled her across his lap. She reached back to grab the broken phone, but he captured her hand and pinned it to her upper back. Makayla felt him snatch the cell out of her pocket and gasped when he rewarded her with a sharp swat to her backside.

"Ow," she squealed, wiggling to free herself.

Gibbs held her firmly in place. "Don't lie to me."

Makayla felt him release her arm and she reached back to rub the sting out of her smarting backside. She craned her neck to see him examining the phone. She squirmed frantically so he would let her up but he kept one firm hand on her back. Her mouth felt like cotton as she tried desperately to summon up enough saliva to swallow. Things were going in a direction she hadn't expected. She'd been on the receiving end of Gibbs' frustration before and she didn't relish another demonstration now or ever. She dropped her forehead to the bed feeling the soft material encircle her face.

"How did your phone get crushed like this?"

"It was an accident," she mumbled, not daring to move. _Please don't do this, _she pleaded with him in her head. "It just happened. My dad will replace it. He always does."

"Yah, that's not going to happen, and if you can't tell me what happened, then you no longer own a phone."

Makayla's head flew up. "You have no right!" She started to fight harder to free herself but Gibbs wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her securely in place so she couldn't move. She felt his other warm hand resting on her back. Her heart fluttered in her chest. This wasn't happening again, was it? Her mouth got the best of her and she shouted, "Lemme go, damn it!" Makayla instantly regretted her words when she felt Gibbs' hand leave her back and a second later land a scorching swat to the middle of her defenceless backside. She whimpered. That had hurt. A lot.

"Wanna keep pissing me off?"

Makayla shivered and quickly shook her head. She snaked her hand back to rub out some of the sting. She was relieved when he didn't try to stop her. It amazed her how much two smacks could hurt so much. Her butt felt like it was on fire. Her dad got mad at her plenty of times but she always felt like she could read him when things were heading in a bad direction. Her dad was predictable. Gibbs was not. She never knew what he would do in any given situation. There seemed to be no figuring him out. Just when she thought she could make a call about how he'd react, he surprised her.

"No, I won't… please, Agent Gibbs, let me up."

"I'm finished playing games, Makayla. I will not tolerate lying. If you lie to me, you will end up right back here and I promise you won't like it one little bit. That goes for Riley too."

The next thing she knew, Makayla found herself pinned between Gibbs' legs staring into his stern grey-blue eyes. Her hands trembled as she grabbed Gibbs to steady herself and blinked back tears.

"Do we have an understanding?" She nodded but remained silent. Gibbs had gotten her attention and she wasn't going to press him further. Gibbs held up the shattered cell phone. "I already figured out Riley did this, but I want you to tell me why. There is more to this story than the two of you are letting on. Now talk."


	23. Chapter 23

_**Greetings readers,**_

_**I know my updates are slow...thanks for being such great fans and reading along.**_

_**This chapter has a lot going on in it...enjoy the ride.**_

_**Thanks for all the reviews...they keep me motivated to keep writing in my chaos.**_

_**This winter better end soon...my kids need more sunshine and outdoor time. :)**_

"Hey, Janssen, don't overdo it, man."

Riley inhaled deeply, ignoring his friend's voice of concern. He didn't want to talk right now; he just wanted to alleviate the pain enough to think clearly. Of course, smoking weed probably wasn't the best way to do that, but it was the only way he knew to quickly take away the pain. His meds had pretty much worn off, and the throbbing pain made it excruciating to move let alone think straight. He closed his eyes and allowed the drug to work its magic. He just needed enough to take the edge off. One thing his ole man had gifted him with through the endless years of abuse was a high pain tolerance and the ability to step outside himself to survive. Riley had learned his limits a long time ago.

"Are we almost there?" Riley asked, opening his eyes to see the concern on his friend's face. "I'm fine, Brody, really." He reassured the other man, hoping to wipe the look from his face. If he could trust anyone to have his back, it would be Lane Brody. Things were tough in Marine boot camp and because Adams targeted Riley, most of the other recruits kept their distance to save their own asses but Brody was different. He kept a healthy distance but he was a loyal friend when Riley let him. Riley never forgot that. He never let anyone too close, so Brody knew very little of what happened to him at boot camp, during or after. When Riley texted the man though, Brody was quick to help, offering his friendship unconditionally.

Brody seemed to consider his words for a moment, then nodded and looked at his GPS. "Where are we heading?"

Riley took another puff and dropped the joint to the floor, crushing it under his foot. "I need a weapon, and it's the only place I know that I can get one that won't be missed."

The blonde-haired man driving furrowed a brow. "Are you sure that stuff hasn't compromised your thinking? Tell me what's going on?"

Riley puffed out his cheeks, sizing up his pain levels. He felt a little buzzed but still clear-headed enough to think. He didn't want to the high. He just needed enough to take the edge off the pain. That's it.

"Trace…"

His friend's eyes widened at the name and he held up a hand to forestall Riley," Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. What does this have to do with Trace?"

Riley began to recognize his surroundings and pointed to the nearest street. "Hang a right here. The house is the third one on the left."

The black SUV pulled into Gibbs' laneway and came to a halt at the garage. Riley chewed his bottom lip, feeling anxiety building in his stomach. He knew that Gibbs wouldn't be there but he wasn't sure who he was going to run into at the house. Someone had to be taking care of Gibbs' girls and his money was on Abby. He needed to have his game in order to get past the intelligent woman.

Riley turned to his friend. "Brody, I need your help to do this. I'll tell you whatever you need to know later but first I need to get something."

The dark eyes of his friend looked at him in sympathy. A quiet moment of comradery passed between them and then the man nodded resolutely. "Okay, what do you want me to do?"

"My guardian…" Brody brow rose in confusion. Riley waved a dismissive hand. "Please, don't ask any questions now. It's too complicated to explain." The man nodded. "My guardian is an NCIS agent and he has two little girls. I'm thinking he has his forensic scientist, Abby, watching the kids." Riley couldn't miss Brody's look of bewilderment. "Don't even try to wrap your head around it. She's like his daughter or something. Like I said, it's complicated. Anyway, the point is, she's not stupid. She would see through me in a heartbeat. I need you to distract her. Knock on the door and ask about me or something…whatever you can think of to keep her distracted for as long as you can. I'm gonna sneak in the back."

Brody remained quiet for a few moments and then nodded. "Okay, distract the science chick. Got it. What will you be doing?"

"Agent Gibbs has a safe where he keeps his weapon…"

"What kind of weapon are we talking about here?"

**"**SIG-Sauer P228."

Brody lifted a brow.

"Got any other brilliant ideas?" asked Riley, narrowing his eyes at his friend.

"About a million and a half..."

Riley rolled his eyes. "Just trust me, Brody. I know what I'm doing."

Brody cast him an uncertain look for several moments before seeming to relent. "You know the combination?"

Riley shook his head. "Not by a long shot. Gibbs is too smart for that."

"Then I guess I'm not following you."

Riley grimaced as he yanked on the door handle to open the door. "Breaking into it won't be hard."

xXxNCISXxX

Gibbs stood in the hallway leaning against the wall with his eyes closed counting backwards from 100. His level of frustration with Makayla had far surpassed counting to 10. When he'd reached 100, he found he was still fuming so he began to count backwards hoping that might work. He'd walked from the room to keep from doing something he'd regret later. Makayla kept skirting around his questions and insisting she didn't know why Riley had gone after Trace on his own. Gibbs knew she was lying, and it infuriated him. There were a lot of things that made him crazy but dishonesty topped them all.

"Boss, you okay?

Gibbs looked up to see Tony approaching him with a look of concern flooding his face.

"Any luck?"

Tony shook his head. "Nothing. Local LEOS are coming up empty-handed as well. No sign of Michael Trace anywhere. His local haunts have turned up nothing either. No one has seen the guy in over 24 hours."

Gibbs scrubbed a hand over his face in consternation. The longer Trace was missing, the more concerned he became. D.C. had an underground lair infested with fleas and vermin. Unfortunately, those vermin were well connected with the above-ground rats and some were more than just a little wealthy. The right amount of money and connections could get you pretty far in the anti-establishment.

"Makayla give you more details?"

Gibbs shook his head, still remaining quiet. He was too angry to speak civilly to anyone about Makayla.

"Want me to talk to her?"

Gibbs considered the request for a moment. He'd been cooling his heels in the hallway for twenty minutes at least, hoping to simmer down enough to talk to Makayla again. The fact that he'd smacked her earlier while angry was bothering him. He'd promised himself he'd never raise a hand to a child when he was heated and he'd blown that out the damned window. Gibbs reached back and massaged the back of his neck. He was also irritated with himself for some of the words that he'd said. He prided himself on being a man of his word, and he didn't relish following through on his threats. He'd been trying so hard to stay level headed when it came to Riley, but the kid had pushed the envelope too far this time. He wasn't sure he wasn't going to be able to stay friendly with the teenager. He needed to find a way to get through to the kid and flipping him over his knee wasn't an option. Not with Riley's past. It would only damage the kid further. Riley's trust of authority figures sucked enough already and as much as Gibbs wished it could be easy, it just wasn't going to happen that way.

"I'm going to let her stew a while," Gibbs finally said. "Got time for a cup of coffee?"

Tony looked at his watch and nodded. "No big cases pending so I've got time."

As they walked, Gibbs was grateful to catch up on NCIS news including Jenn's current business trip to Israel to meet with Ziva's father. It was nice to see the friendship and trust between Jenny and Ziva. It warmed Gibbs' heart to see Ziva coming out of her shell more. If Jenn was visiting Eli David, it either had to do with Mossad and NCIS or it dealt directly with Ziva's stay in the US. Whatever the reason, it didn't look like Jenn would be home for Christmas after all. He'd refrained from contacting her with the latest news on Makayla or Melissa. Makayla was his responsibility, and Jenny seemed more than relieved to be absolved of her. He figured Melissa could contact her aunt if she needed her, but from what he'd seen, the teen girl was very independent and probably wouldn't reach out to anyone. It seemed that the teenager didn't look to authority figures for support, but relied more on her peer group. Not that uncommon for boarding school kids. Another reason why Gibbs disliked prep schools. It segregated families. Kids should come home to their parents at night and share evening meals with a family. Childhood was short enough as it was.

The two men rounded the corner to the coffee shop, ordered their hot beverages and took seats by a window. The sun was high in the sky reminding Gibbs that he should probably bring some food back to Makayla. He couldn't recall the last time she'd eaten anything; he was definitely not battling a 1000 in the good guardian department. Nope, instead of feeding her, he'd just wrestled her for a broken phone and smacked her for belligerence. He groaned at his stupidity.

"Something the matter, Boss?" asked Tony, sinking his teeth into a chocolate donut.

Gibbs sighed. "Nothing and everything, DiNozzo."

Tony didn't badger him further but continued to eat his blueberry muffin quietly. Gibbs wrapped his hands around the paper cup feeling the heat in his fingers. He hadn't noticed how cold his hands were until he felt the delicious heat envelope his hands. The hospital kept the corridors quite cool which was probably good for ventilation. His temper had also begun to cool down as well.

"How are the other kids from Makayla's school doing?"

"They'll live. Bumps and bruises mostly except one boy who busted up his ankle pretty good."

"What happened?"

"Don't know much other than they were hit by another vehicle that ran a red light. Faulty brakes or something. They never saw it coming."

"Ah, geez. Poor kids! Does Makayla know?"

Gibbs shook his head. "No, but I probably should tell her. I saw her sister earlier so they're bound to run into each other. Neither knows the other is here." Gibbs glanced at his watch and took a long drink of his dark roasted coffee. "No point in hanging around here anymore, so I think I'll take Makayla to see Melissa and then head home. Abbs is with the girls, and I'm sure Janessa is driving her crazy asking when I'm coming home. Promised to take them to cut a Christmas tree."

Tony smiled. "Looking forward to your first Christmas with them?"

A warm smile spread across Gibbs' face as he stood to his feet. He was elated to have a second chance to celebrate all the special holidays with his little girls, and children just had a way of bringing magic to Christmas.

"Yah, I really am. Wish this crap with Riley was over, though. Damned kid!" growled Gibbs. "We could all be decorating a tree and sipping egg nog but no, I have to be searching every nook and cranny for him."

"You sip egg nog, Boss? You didn't strike me as the egg nog type."

Gibbs reached out and smacked the back of Tony's head playfully. "Like it with bourbon, DiNozzo."

Tony laughed.

xXxNCISxXx

Makayla opened the door slowly expecting to hear Gibbs' voice bellowing at her to close it again. There was no doubt in her mind that Gibbs was pissed. He'd kept peppering her with questions about Riley and she'd given him the runaround until he finally snapped. For a moment, she'd thought he was going to smack her silly. Thankfully, he hadn't, but instead told her to stay put while he cooled off for bit. She hadn't seen him this angry with her since she'd tried to run away to New York. A huge part of her felt relieved when she found the hallway empty. The longer Gibbs had left her alone in Riley's room, the more her mind played tricks on her. She thought Gibbs was coming back in to skin her alive. His absence allowed her heartrate to return to normal.

Makayla leaned against the wall and took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. She'd kept Riley's plan to herself, what little of it she knew. The guy had not exactly been forthcoming but had given her enough to know he did have a plan. Makayla still didn't understand why Riley felt like he needed to handle Trace on his own. Her conscience was needling her to tell Gibbs about Trace wanting Intel on him and NCIS classified information. But she was worried. Riley had been genuinely frightened that he'd given out Gibbs' address. That would put Aimee and Janessa in danger. But didn't that make it even more important that Gibbs know? If anything happened to the girls, it would kill Gibbs.

"Kayley?"

Makayla furrowed a brow. She spun on her heel only to drop her jaw in complete surprise to be face to face with her sister, Melissa.

"Melissa? What are you doing here?" asked Makayla in stunned bewilderment. Would Gibbs have called her?

At the same time, Melissa said, "How did you find out about the accident? Is your friend okay?"

Makayla frowned. "Accident? What accident?"

Melissa and Makayla closed the distance between them and stood awkwardly staring at one another. Both of them confused to see the other. It had been weeks since they'd seen one another face to face. Makayla felt tears prick the back of her eyes. A small part of her wanted to throw her arms around Melissa and sob. A closer look at her sister revealed the worry lines and fatigue on her face.

"Missy, are you okay?"

Melissa worried her lip and nodded. "Yah, I'm okay. It's been a rough night. Josh's twin brother, Chris, and his sister, Cassie, were in a car accident."

Makayla's hands flew to her mouth in horror. "Oh, no! Are they…"

Melissa shook her head. "God, no! They're okay; Chris messed up his ankle pretty bad. He's gonna need some kind of surgery or something I think. Cassie and Josh are both pretty shaken up about it; can't say as I blame them. I'm still shaking. Their parents are with them now, so I thought it was best to leave them alone. I don't really know them all that well."

"You and Josh have done a good job of hiding your relationship from everyone." Makayla couldn't keep the sarcasm from her voice but instantly regretted it when she saw hurt wash across her sister's face, only to be shrouded in anger.

"We aren't hiding anything. It's not as if mom and dad are ever around to talk anyway, and for your information, I'd planned to introduce them to Josh at Christmas." The anger seemed to melt away just as fast as it came and Melissa hugged her arms around herself as tears filled her eyes. "He's really a great guy, Kayla."

Makayla sighed. "I'm sorry, Missy. I'm glad they're all okay. Josh is a cool guy. He's been really nice to me at school."

"How's Riley?" asked Melissa, relaxing her shoulders a little.

Tears filled Makayla's eyes when Melissa mentioned Riley's name. She stared at her sister for a moment debating on what she should say but soon found herself telling Melissa everything, right down to them kissing and him going after Trace on his own. Melissa stood dumbfounded as Makayla dissolved into heart-wrenching sobs and she drew her little sister into a hug.

"Oh, Kayley, why haven't you told this to Agent Gibbs?"

Makayla sniffled and pulled away. "He already busted my butt for lying to him, and I promised Riley I would stall Agent Gibbs. He said he needs to handle this on his own."

"Kayla, this sounds really serious. Are you sure Riley is even thinking straight? You and I both know the connections Aunt Jenny has…even more than Dad and mom. Heck, Aunt Jenny talks about the POTUS like they are besties. I'm positive Agent Gibbs can handle some rogue Marine. It's his job."

"I promised Riley, Missy."

Melissa considered her sister for several long moments before speaking again. "Well, well, it looks like my baby sister is growing up. You really like him, don't you?"

Makayla felt her face heat up. She hadn't wanted to admit it to anyone but, yes, she did like Riley a lot. Her feelings were frightening if she dwelled on them for too long. The kiss they'd shared hadn't helped; it had only served to muddy the waters considerably. Why couldn't she live a normal life? Tears swam in her eyes as she nodded. "I've never felt this way before."

Melissa hugged her again. "Okay, let's think this through. Riley doesn't want Gibbs involved but he hasn't really given you much insight into why. Kayley, I think you should tell Gibbs everything you've told me. My money is on Agent Gibbs and NCIS being able to handle anything thrown at them." Makayla pulled away and wiped tears from her red blotchy cheeks. "Riley might be mad at you later but at least he'll be alive to yell at you."

Makayla chewed on her lip, torn about doing what she knew was right and what her confused heart was telling her. "Missy, Riley said he planned to get Gibbs' gun…"

Melissa's face paled. "What? What's he plan to do with it? Kill the other guy?"

Makayla shook her head. "No! Riley wouldn't do that. He just wants to scare him, so he'll back off."

"Makayla! He's gonna get himself killed, for Pete's sake."

"Riley is a Marine, Miss. He knows how to take care of himself!"

Melissa shook her head. "There's no way he's thinking straight; he's hurt, Kayley. You need to tell Gibbs right now or I will."

Makayla felt her back go up. "No, you won't! I confided in you, Melissa. We don't share secrets. You promised. You can't tell! It's my decision, not yours."

"Makayla, this isn't kid stuff. This is serious…"

"You don't think I don't know that? I'm not an idiot. You always treat me like I'm too stupid to figure things out on my own." Makayla shot her sister with a piercing glance. "Go back to your friends, Melissa. I can handle things on my own." Makayla turned on heel and walked away.

Melissa grabbed Makayla by the arm, spinning her around to face her. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To help Riley."

"And what exactly are you going to do? Hold his arm up while he points the gun? Makayla, stop and think this through. Riley might know about guns from his training in the Marines but you sure don't. It's bad enough he's got a death wish, interfering could get you all killed."

Makayla pulled her arm away and walked away. "Mind your own business."

Melissa called after her but Makayla never looked back.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Riley stared at the safe and sighed. _Who locks their sidearm in a safe in their own house_, he thought. His father never did. Roy Janssen kept his gun sitting on the mantel, unloaded and locked but still out in plain view. Riley and his brother had secretly held the weapon more than once when their father hadn't been home. Both of them knew they would have been skinned alive had their father found out, but he never did. The gun was always locked but they had no idea where their father had hidden the ammo. It was just fun to hold the forbidden weapon and imagine being in epic battles, killing the bad guys and saving the world. After a moment, Riley decided perhaps Gibbs wasn't as stupid as he thought. Kids and firearms did not mix well.

Riley ran his hand across the top, spinning the box around and flipping it upside down. Colour faded from his cheeks as his first idea shattered into the wind. He'd hoped that Gibbs would keep a key taped underneath. He knew that the safe had a key backup. He'd never be able to break into the safe without it, short of using a blowtorch to cut it open. He wasn't exactly trained to that sort of thing and Gibbs didn't own tools that actually plugged in, at least not in the house. He certainly wouldn't have acetylene sitting around his house.

"Riley!"

Riley felt his heart jump into his throat when he heard his name. He turned around just in time to catch 5-year-old Janessa in his arms. He winced but hugged her, pressing a kiss on her cheek, willing his heart rate to slow down. Thankfully his earlier weed hit had sustained him enough to take the worst of the pain away. He'd need another soon.

"Nessa, where did you come from? Aren't you playing with Abby?"

Janessa's face turned cross. "Abby is mean."

Riley couldn't help but smirk at her grumpy demeanour. It wasn't often the little girl got herself into mischief. That was usually Aimee's MO. "Why?"

"She won't lets me have ice cream."

Riley chuckled and set Janessa's feet to the floor. "I see. Want to play a game with me?" Maybe Janessa would be able to help him find the keys. The little girl was perceptive and often noticed things no one else did. Gibbs tended to underestimate how much she paid attention too. He might have even locked the safe with the key with Janessa in the room, without even giving it much thought.

Janessa smiled a gleeful smile. "Where's daddy? Abby said you got hurt…"

"Yah, but I'm fine now. Do I look hurt?" He smiled and winked at her.

"You gots cuts on you."

"Nothing that won't heal with some kisses. Know anyone who can kiss them better?"

"I can!"

Riley carefully squatted and let the little girl cover him with kisses. He smirked. "Wow! I'm gonna get better real fast now."

Janessa beamed.

"Ness, do you know where your daddy hides the key for his safe."

Her little brow furrowed for a moment then she shrugged. "No, but daddy's gots keys hanging up real high in his closet."

Riley chewed his lip. He could hear the voices in the front foyer. Brody's voice rang out with familiarity. He was a charming guy, and Riley could hear the amazing job he was doing keeping Abby distracted at the front door. The trouble was the only way to the bedrooms was up the stairs which happened to off the front entrance.

"Nessie, can you reach the keys and bring them to me? I'm playing a game of hide and seek with

Abby and she can't see me. If I can get the keys and open the safe, I win. Will you help me?"

"What's in the safe?" Janessa asked, her eyes wide with excitement.

"It's a surprise. Will you help me?"

The little girl nodded.

"Where's Aimee?"

The little girl shrugged.

"Don't tell Aimee either, okay? Let's just keep it our secret."

"Okay." Janessa put her fingers on her lips and giggled, running off around the corner towards the stairs.

Riley held his breath when he heard Abby call out to Janessa as she rushed by. He didn't hear the little girl respond so he assumed that Abby had made Janessa upset about denying her ice cream. After a second he heard Brody's voice once again and then Abby's voice. Brody could charm a rattlesnake. He was that good.


	24. Chapter 24

_**Hello again,**_

_**Thanks for all the fantastic reviews! I'm very grateful for each and every one. Thanks for taking the time to let me know your thoughts. **_

_**Honestly...I struggled with this chapter...I know where I'm heading but this chapter did not come easily to me. I think I'm sleep deprived. :D**_

_**Gibbs is feeling very helpless at the moment. :(**_

Riley's worried his bottom lip as he tried yet another key in the lock. His pulse skyrocketed when he felt the lock click open. Success after trying five different small keys that he thought might fit. Gibbs had a whack of small keys on his ring indicating that he'd probably had more than one safe in his lifetime. Obviously, the man didn't believe in throwing away keys. Not that that surprised him. He figured most people had a slew of keys kicking around the house that they didn't use any more.

He could keenly feel Janessa's little eyes on him waiting on bated breath for the surprise he'd promised her earlier. It had only taken the little girl a handful of minutes to return to him with Gibbs' key ring. He didn't even want to speculate how the little monkey had managed to get the ring off the hook if it was as high up as she had said. Gibbs was going to kill him for encouraging her to do that. Riley inwardly chuckled. Who was he kidding? The keys weren't even going to make to the top 10 list of things Gibbs was going to kill him for. He'd snuck out of the hospital, broke into the man's safe and was about to abscond with the man's weapon. Riley was pretty sure it was a first-class felony. He was deader than dead if that was even possible.

Riley cleared his throat as he straightened up and turned to look at Janessa, "It worked, squirt! We win!"

Janessa jumped up and down and clapped her hands with glee. "What do we win? Do we gets ice cream?"

Riley laughed and gingerly picked up the blond munchkin in his arms, pressing a kiss on her cheek. He needed to get her attention away from the safe and away from him. She seemed to have her mind stuck on ice cream, so he was willing to play into that. "Of course! I have an idea. You scoot to the kitchen and scoop out some bowls for us."

"For Abby too?"

"Do you think she deserves any?"

Janessa frowned, considering his question very seriously. "Well, even a loser gets hungry." Her little dark eyes swam in compassion. "I'll gives her one scoop."

"You're a good sport, Ness."

Janessa wiggled to get down in her excitement. As soon as her feet touched the floor, she disappeared into the kitchen much to Riley's relief. It would take her a while to scoop up the icy treat and by then, he'd be long gone.

Riley reached into the safe and pocketed Gibbs' sidearm. Now he needed to find the clip. Gibbs was a wise man; Riley knew the trained NCIS agent and seasoned father would never have the two together in the same place but he wasn't sure where to look. His gut told him that the two wouldn't be far apart; the clip would need to be easily accessible should Gibbs need it. Riley set the safe back on its spot on the mantel and, on a hunch, began to run his fingers under the ledge. A ghost of a smile played on his lips when he felt another concealed ledge up under the main one. He leaned over to see a small hidden shelf. He bit his bottom lip as he reached his hand in and pulled out several clips. Gibbs was indeed a clever man. Riley loaded the gun and pocketed the extra clips. Now he was ready.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs strode down the hallway feeling much more in control of himself. Tony and he had parted ways, with the younger man going to check out how things were progressing with the BOLO. Gibbs felt secure in the knowledge that Tony would handle things well on the NCIS side of things. The best thing Gibbs could do for now was to get Makayla home and try to talk to some sense into her. The more information he was armed with, the better able he'd be able to handle things on his end once Riley was found. His only hope was that they'd find Riley before he met up with Trace again. Gibbs didn't want to speculate how the injured adolescent would fare in another battle with the Marine.

Gibbs ran a hand through his hair, trying to settle his thoughts on any one scenario. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out what Trace would want with a kid like Riley in the first place. Sure, on base and in the platoon, Gibbs could speculate why one Marine might threaten or blackmail another but outside of that, nothing made sense. Riley was just a kid. The court-martial of Adams had made that public knowledge and scuttlebutt spread faster than lightning on base. There would be no chance in hell that Trace wouldn't know about it. Riley was no threat to anyone.

As Gibbs rounded the corner lost in his thoughts, he was surprised to nearly bump into Melissa Wallace. The girl looked upset and his heart went out to her.

"Agent Gibbs!" the girl spat out, her face paling.

Gibbs reached out to steady the girl and couldn't help but feel her trembling under his touch. He offered her a warm smile. "Melissa, how are your friends doing?"

Melissa seemed suspended in animation as she stood stock still staring at Gibbs. Her mouth opened and closed a few times like she was trying to decide what to say.

"Melissa, are you alright?"

Melissa jerked her arm away but continued to stare blankly at him.

"Melissa?" Gibbs couldn't keep the concern from his voice. Something was wrong. Had the condition of one of her friends worsened? As far as he had heard, the injuries had only been minor.

"ShetookoffandIdon'tknowwhereshewent…" the girl finally blurted out as tears flooded her eyes.

Gibbs frowned, not understanding anything the girl had said. He cupped her chin in his hands and thumbed away the tears that had escaped down her cheeks. From what he knew of Melissa, this was uncharacteristic of her but he knew she'd been through a lot in the last 24 hours, so he chalked it up to overwhelming stress. She wasn't a military kid no matter how many she was surrounded with. As much as the young girl put up a stubborn façade of holding things together on her own, it was obvious she was crumbling to pieces now. "Slow down, honey and tell me what's wrong?"

She shook her head, trying desperately to gain her wits but as she continued, her words continued to blend together making them unintelligible. "She'sgonnagetherselfkilled..."

Gibbs' paternal nature took over at that moment and he pulled the hysterical girl into a comforting embrace. He couldn't make head or tales of her words and the natural father in him took over to try and calm her down. He expected her to fight his touch but was pleasantly surprised when she melted into his arms; his heart ached for her. Damn Wallace and his need to defend the world over his daughters. Damn Julia Wallace for putting everything else before the well-being of her girls.

"Shh," he crooned, cupping the back of her auburn hair with his hand. It was uncanny how much Melissa and Makayla looked alike. They could have been twins if it wasn't for the age difference. "Calm down and take a couple of deep breaths for me. I know this had been a whirlwind of a night for you, but everything is gonna be alright. Do you want me to call your Aunt Jenn?"

The girl's head frantically shook under his hand and he felt her push him away. He released his hold on her and pulled away to see the wild-eyed look on her face.

"No," she gasped. "It's Makayla. S-she took off after Riley…" the girl finally managed to choke out.

Gibbs felt the colour drain from his face. "What do you mean took off after Riley? Does she know where he is?"

Gibbs willed his heart rate to stay even as he listened to Melissa choke out bits of information about her conversation with Makayla. His blood ran cold when he heard about Riley wanting to get his hands on his sidearm. What would possess the kid to do something so dangerous and stupid? Gibbs clenched his jaw, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat as he swallowed several times. His weapon was secure in his safe but it wasn't a state of the art kind of security system. It suited his purposes of keeping the kids out, but he wasn't stupid enough to think Riley couldn't break into it. Riley was resourceful. That safe would not keep him out.

Gibbs managed to smile at Melissa kindly, trying to sort out his thoughts. She'd given him more information in the last 10 minutes than he'd been able to drag out of Makayla in hours. He needed to get home quickly, but he didn't want to leave Melissa in such a fragile state. He reached out and wiped a few more tears from the teen girl's face. "Everything's gonna be okay, Melissa. I promise."

The girl nodded, swiping at tears on her flushed cheeks. Gibbs placed a gentle hand on her back and led her to the nearest chair, encouraging her to sit down. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, showing it to her.

"I need to make a few calls. You gonna be okay here on your own?"

She nodded. "My friend Josh is here with his parents. I'll be fine, Agent Gibbs. Please find my sister."

Gibbs smiled at her again and took off running down the hallway. He'd make a few calls and maybe get Ziva or another agent to come to comfort Melissa and make sure she got back to her dorm. He needed to find Riley and Makayla.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Makayla knew the neighbourhood well and taking a cab had been her best bet. It hadn't taken her long to reach Gibbs' place; she hoped she could catch Riley still in the area. One bonus of her parents being far away and her life pretty much sans parental supervision, she was the master of her own money. While Gibbs was supposedly her guardian in her parent's absence, he had yet to figure out all the nuances of what that entailed.

When she reached Gibbs' laneway, she froze in her tracks a little taken aback by the two unfamiliar vehicles parked in the driveway. Neither one of them rang a bell as to who they would belong to. She'd come to recognize every one of Gibbs' agent's cars, as well as the NCIS vehicles they often drove while at work. The curtains to the family room were drawn close and the house looked dark. It was an odd sight to see. Gibbs always left lights on in the house, even when he wasn't home. The lamp in the front entrance always was left on no matter what time of day. Gibbs said it gave the house a lived-in appearance, keeping the honest thieves away. Makayla eyed the cars in the lane suspiciously but kept walking until she reached the front entrance. Her heart sat in her throat as she reached out to open the door. As usual, it wasn't locked. She swallowed nervously as she entered the house and shut the door behind her.

"Hello? Anyone home?" she said loudly, her voice quivering. Someone should have been home with the girls. Gibbs would have gotten someone to watch them at home while he was at the hospital. Makayla didn't know anyone in the neighbourhood who watched them except an older later next door and she knew that woman and her husband had gone away to visit family for Christmas. It just made sense that the girls would be home.

"Hello?" she said again, her heart hammering in her chest.

She heaved a sigh of relief once she was standing in the front entrance. Everything looked as it should right down to Janessa's drawings taped to the mirror. She didn't know why she'd expected anything different. Her mind was playing tricks on her. Why wouldn't everything be the same? It wasn't as if Trace would be at Gibbs' house or anything. Makayla shuddered at the thought. She kicked off her shoes and walked into the family room.

"Where is everyone?" she called out.

Silence answered her and seemed to echo around the room making her subconsciously shiver. She had such a foreboding feeling in her stomach. Something just didn't feel right. She looked around the room looking for signs of people being present lately. She came to a halt when she reached the kitchen. She frowned when she saw four bowls of melted ice cream sitting on the counter alongside the empty container. The scoop was lying on the floor looking like it had been thrown there. Makayla crossed the room and bent over to retrieve the ice cream scoop, and as she did, she thought she heard a muffled sound coming from the pantry.

She walked over and held her ear to the door, "Hello?" Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she reached for the handle. She forced herself to brush away her silly nervousness as she opened the door; she was being ridiculous. She blinked her eyes in the darkness of the pantry only to stifle a scream when her eyes adjusted. Aimee was sitting on the floor blindfolded with her hands tied behind her back and duct tape across her mouth. Her face was red and blotchy from crying. At her feet laid an unconscious man dressed in Marine fatigues. Makayla stood frozen in place for several seconds trying to gain the willpower to breathe again. Aimee whimpered.

Makayla rushed to Aimee's side, pulling the blindfold off the little girl and gently removing the duct tape from her mouth. Makayla gave her a quick hug. She could feel Aimee trembling and working hard to choke back her tears so she could catch her breath. "Are you okay?"

Aimee nodded as her teeth began to chatter together. Makayla pulled away and shifted the little girl sideways to try and untie her wrists. Makayla groaned when she saw the amount of duct tape wrapped around Aimee's small wrists. There was no way Aimee could free her hands easily, not in a million years. She needed a knife or scissors. "Stand up, honey."

Makayla helped Aimee to her feet and they both stepped over the unconscious man to walk back into the kitchen. She led Aimee towards the kitchen drawer and dug around looking for some scissors.

"Janessa…" Aimee whimpered, her teeth chattering loud enough so that Makayla could hear it.

Makayla worked at cutting away the duct tape that dug into Aimee's small wrists. She needed to wrap the little girl in a blanket or something to help her cope and make her feel safe.

"It's okay, Aimee. You're safe now."

"We gotta find her…" choked Aimee, still trying to catch her breath.

Makayla remained quiet for several moments, not knowing how to quell the little girl's cries and concentrating on cutting off the black tape. It was thick and tough to cut. The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end when she heard the man in the pantry groan. Who was he?

"He's not dead!" screeched Aimee, choking on sobs and attempting to get away from Makayla, terror in her voice. "We hafta help him."

"Aimee, stop moving." scolded Makayla as she managed to finally free the little girl's hands. Her own hands were shaking so badly that Aimee's squirming had made it all the more difficult to cut the tape from her wrists.

"He's hurt!" whimpered Aimee, rubbing her chafed wrists and attempting to rush back into the pantry.

Makayla caught Aimee by the wrist. "Wait. Who is he?"

Ignoring Makayla's question, Aimee struggled to free her wrist, "Lemme go! He got hit really hard, Mackie."

"Aimee, you need to slow down and tell me what happened…"

Aimee pulled away from Makayla and disappeared inside the pantry once more. Makayla quickly followed to see Aimee helping the strange man to sit up. Aimee flicked on the overhead light and winced. The man's hands were duct-taped behind his back and his head was split open making Makayla's stomach churn. Blood oozed and ran down his face making him look an eerie character in a horror flick. Forgetting herself, Makayla dropped to her knees helping the man into a sitting position. He groaned and leaned his head against the back of the wall.

"Thanks," he mumbled, grimacing and wincing as he moved his head around to find a comfortable spot to rest it against.

Makayla sat back on her haunches staring at him. When Aimee moved to attempt to untie his hands, Makayla pulled her back. There was no way in hell she was going to set him free, not until she knew what was going on.

"Who are you?" she demanded, holding Aimee back.

The man groaned in response, unable to form any intelligible words.

"Mackie, he's hurt!" Aimee said in indignation. Her face was still flushed from crying and her lips were still quivering. "He's not the bad guy. He tried to help Riley."

"You're Mak?" the man suddenly said, his face grimacing as he spoke.

Makayla frowned at the man darkly. Why did he want to know? "Yah, I am. Where are Riley and Janessa?"

The man shook his head.

Makayla rose to her feet, pulling Aimee out of the pantry and hopefully out of earshot of the stranger. The little girl was still trembling and crying. "He needs help," cried Aimee, trying to pull away again.

"Aimee, listen to me. We don't know who he is. He might be part of everything for all we know." Makayla held Aimee by the hand and dragged her towards the phone that still hung on the wall. The technology was outdated and ancient just like Gibbs himself but for once, Makayla appreciated the reliability. Gibbs had her cell phone not that it would have worked anyway, and she knew she was over her head and needed to call for help.

"Let me go, Mackie," whimpered Aimee, fighting hard against Makayla's grasp on her arm. Makayla ignored her and pulled the receiver from the wall wondering how she was going to dial and still hold on to Aimee. The little girl yanked and pulled at her arm until she managed to free herself. Makayla dropped the corded phone onto the floor and grabbed the blond-headed girl with both hands, shaking her in frustration.

"We need to call your dad!" Makayla shook Aimee again harshly. "Tell me who that guy is!"

Aimee dissolved into tears once more, choking hard on her words. "Lane…"

"Who's Lane?"

"I'm Lane."

Makayla's heart leapt into her throat when she turned to see the wounded Marine standing in the pantry doorway. Somehow the man had managed to get to his feet, hands still taped behind his back. Terrified, Makayla pulled Aimee behind her. Even injured, he was a daunting presence. Makayla cursed under her breath. She should have shut the pantry door.

"What happened?" she demanded. "Where's Riley?"

"That's what I'd like to know."

Both girls spun around to see Gibbs standing in the kitchen. He had his hand at his waist like he was going to draw his weapon. Makayla felt relief wash over her; her legs began to tremble, making her feel like she would collapse. She grabbed onto the counter as she watched Gibbs restrain the strange man in their midst.

XxXxNSICxXxX

Gibbs did a quick survey of the room, giving both girls a quick once over to see if they were injured and was relieved to see they weren't. He'd called for reinforcement the moment he arrived on the scene. Unknown vehicles in his driveway made his gut churn. He was willing to play it safe and now he was glad he'd listened followed his gut instincts. It rarely let him down.

As he turned his attention back to the injured Marine, he felt the man go limp and moved quickly to catch him before he collapsed. It was obvious the young Marine posed no threat in his wounded state. This guy wasn't the enemy.

"Mak, quick, grab a chair." He commanded.

Makayla moved quickly and together they helped the wounded Marine to sit down. The man managed a weak smile of appreciation as Gibbs pulled his knife from his pocket to cut him free of his restraints. Once free, he slumped in the chair holding his head. Gibbs reached for first aid supplies in his kitchen drawer and applied pressure to the man's head wound. The man hissed and winced under his touch. Aimee stepped forward, her teeth chattering once more. Gibbs looked up at her in concern. She looked so fragile standing there. He offered her a reassuring smile. "You okay, sweetheart?" She shook her head as tears tumbled down her cheeks.

"You took quite a hit to the head, Private. What's your name? "asked Gibbs, pulling Aimee into his arms protectively. Gibbs winced when he felt her cold body shivering in his arms. Poor kid had been traumatized again. How much more could she take? They'd come so far yet she still struggled every day and now something else had to happen. Damn it! They couldn't seem to catch a break. He pressed a kiss onto the side of her head, hoping with every fibre of his being that she'd escape this new event unscathed. The last thing either one of them needed was for her to regress further.

"Private Lane Brody, sir," the blond-haired Marine said, his voice quaking slightly.

"What happened? You're a friend of Riley?"

Lane nodded, "Yes, sir. Riley and I trained together at the same boot camp." Lane raised his hand to take the cloth Gibbs held against his head. Gibbs released his hold and took a step back. Aimee kept her arms around him as he moved from the Marine. Lane cleared his throat and began to explain how he'd picked up Riley from the hospital and brought him to Gibbs' house. He told of how Riley planned to confront Michael Trace on his own terms. He spoke about talking to Abby at the front entrance while Riley retrieved Gibbs' gun. Gibbs clenched his jaw and bit back a curse on his lips. How could Riley be so stupid? Teenage rebellion was one thing; Gibbs could handle that. He'd been thinking of creative ways to deal with Riley's behaviour, trying to let go of his more authoritarian ideals. But this kind of risky behaviour took the cake. What had the kid been thinking?

Gibbs heaved an audible sigh. None of what he'd heard so far made any damned sense. Gibbs wanted to interrogate the Marine further but bit his tongue. There would be time later for more intensive questioning. This young man had no idea how much trouble he had gotten himself into. Gibbs caught sight of the look of fear in Aimee's eyes and bit back his words. He needed to play this cool. Aimee didn't need to be traumatized any further. He needed to get her someplace safe.

"I was talking casually with a woman at the front door," continued the Marine, pulling the cloth away from his head to inspect it. He grimaced at the amount of blood he saw.

"Head wounds bleed a lot," Gibbs found himself saying.

The Marine nodded but for several seconds seemed fixated on the cloth.

Gibbs glanced at Makayla who was gripping the counter so hard that her knuckles were white, as was her tear-streaked face. Gibbs' heart went out to her. As much as he was angry with her, he hated to see the look of anguish laced across her face. The poor kid looked frightened.

"I heard a scream," continued Lane, dropping the cloth to the floor. He looked up at Gibbs, his face ashen. "I infiltrated the room as quickly as I could. Riley was unconscious and Trace had your little girl…"

Gibbs felt his blood grow cold. "Janessa," he whispered under his breath. Trace had his baby girl. What did this guy want?

"I tried to stop him, sir…I-I must have lost consciousness…he pistol-whipped me several times." Lane looked up at Gibbs, his dark, red-rimmed eyes pleading with him to understand. "I don't remember anything else except waking up in the pantry." Lane dropped his chin to his chest, seemingly exhausted as well as disgusted.

Gibbs looked down at Aimee, still clutching him tightly. He felt a chill creep up his spine. Aimee was the only one who might know what happened. The little girl was trembling and quaking in his arms. She hadn't stopped quivering since he'd wrapped an arm around her. He knelt down, gripping her forearms gently while looking into her big dark eyes. "Do you know where Janessa is, sweetheart?"

Aimee shivered and shook her head, dissolving into tears. "I-I don't know!" she screamed at him. "Riley tried to stop him, daddy, but he was hurt. The other guy tied me up. I couldn't see anything." Aimee shivered and choked back a sob. "I-It was so dark." Aimee looked at Lane with tears swimming in her eyes. "I thought you were dead."

Lane managed a weak smile. "It's okay, sweetheart. I'm okay."

Gibbs wrapped his arms around Aimee, picking her up into his arms and rocking her gently. At that moment, he felt completely helpless.


	25. Chapter 25

_**Hi Readers,**_

_**I know this chapter is short, but I wanted to post an update. Hopefully, you will enjoy it. Life is so upside down for the whole world right now. I've been so scattered-brained that I haven't even had the urge to write. Feeling so uncertain, frightened and just dumbfounded. **_

_**I hope this story finds all of you healthy.**_

_**Please stay safe.**_

_**Lots of love,**_

_**Jenny :)**_

Riley grimaced as a wave of pain hit him, forcing his eyes open. Blinking several times to focus, he finally managed to get a look at where he was. He groaned audibly as he made a move to sit up but an overwhelming shockwave of pain forced him to lie back once more. Trying to move his hands told him a harrowing story. He groaned out loud. Zip ties were not his friend at the moment and Trace knew that.

A small whimper brought his attention immediately into focus, reminding him exactly what was at stake. Janessa. In a sudden rush of adrenaline, he sat up and surveyed his surroundings. He caught sight of the little girl, blindfolded, her hands also zip-tied and sitting on the floor a few feet from him. He maneuvered so he could reach out to touch her with his foot. The terrified girl screamed in terror.

"Hey, hey, hush now, it's Riley, Nessie."

"Riley?" she whispered.

Riley shuffled closer to her. Every move he made sent shock waves of pain radiating throughout his chest. "It's me, Squirt. How are you holding up?"

"I w-wants daddy," Her lower lip trembled as tears ran down her dirt-smudged cheeks.

Riley leaned into her gently. "I know you do and he's coming…I promise, Nessie."

Riley searched his mind for a story. The little girl loved stories and fairy tales. He'd learned how easily Janessa could be distracted into thinking things were a game. He'd heard stories about how Gibbs had used it in the past, and he planned to do his best to limit the trauma to the little girl. Her imagination would protect her. "Listen to me, honey, okay?"

The little blonde nodded with a sniffle.

"I know that this feels scary but I want you to do whatever the bad guy says…"

Her small lips quivered as she shook her head. "H-he hurt…"

Riley rushed to cut off her words. He needed to divert her attention. "It's a game, sweetie…it's just pretend, okay? Your daddy is going to find us…then we win…remember when you got the keys for me?"

Janessa nodded, her lower lip trembling. "I didn't gets ice cream." Tears traced a path down her cheeks beneath her blindfold.

"It's okay, Nessie; I promise you'll get ice cream when we win. Your daddy's gonna make sure the bad guy can't play games that hurt people anymore."

"I don't wanna play this game." She dissolved into loud sobs.

Riley shivered. This wasn't going very well and Janessa was getting more and more upset.

"Hey, it's okay," he leaned into her again. "I'm here. You're okay." Janessa continued to sob, her cries escalating and getting louder

Riley puffed out his cheeks, trying hard to think of how to deescalate the little girl. He needed more time to think. He wasn't ready to face Trace again, wherever he was. He needed to figure out where they were. He needed more time.

"Hey, hey, come now, Ness, listen to me. Stop crying and listen…" he pleaded with her. He bumped into the little girl again, twisting his wrists around but feeling the plastic digging into his skin. There was no way he could break free of the ties in his injured state; under normal circumstances, he could have broken free in seconds. Trace knew there was no way Riley could summon the strength to break free, not with his ribs the way they were. A flood of memories rushed back to Riley at that moment, remembering Brody infiltrating the room only to have Abby interfere and the girls freak out. His weak attempt to intervene had only ended with Trace slamming his face into the wall. Everything went black after that.

"Janessa, the bad guy zip-tied my hands behind my back," he began to explain.

He wasn't sure it would work but Janessa might be able to help him; they'd done this before for fun. The little girl slowed her cries and sniffled, listening intently.

"He d-did?" she managed to choke out.

"Can you help me break the zip ties?"

Gibbs had gotten really upset with him a while back when he'd come home to see Aimee and Janessa with zip ties on their wrists. Riley had shown them how to use their shoelaces to break free. It had just started out as an experiment. He'd seen videos of kids doing it on YouTube, and he'd been curious to see if the girls were strong enough. It turned out to be easy for them. The two girls had thought it was a riot until Gibbs put a kibosh on the game. Both little girls had injured their wrists with the ties but still insisted on playing the game. Gibbs hid all the zip ties until they forgot about it. Riley hoped Janessa would remember.

"I gots shoes with laces," the little girl said, sniffling.

"Lay down on your back; I'll pull off your blindfold, okay?"

The little girl immediately obliged.

Riley maneuvered himself so he could pull the fabric from the child's eyes. Janessa blinked a few times in the brightness and then rewarded him with a watery smile before sitting up and setting to work to free her own hands from the zip ties. Like an expert, she threaded her lace through the tie, knotted it and started scissoring her feet until the ties snapped with little effort on her part.

"Good girl!" he praised. "Now, can you do the same with mine?"

The little girl nodded, crawled behind him and worked to slip her laces through his ties. His hands were fastened very tightly together which he imagined was Trace's way of punishing him but it would make things easier for Janessa. The tighter the tie, the easier they would snap under pressure. Riley braced himself. When Janessa began to cycle her legs, it was going to hurt like hell.

"Tell me when you're ready to move your feet," he said. He could picture her little determined face in his mind, her tongue out as she concentrated trying the lace in a knot. That part had tricked her up for days when they practiced. The little girl had had a difficult time making the knot and tying it tight.

"Knots is hard," whispered Janessa as Riley felt her fumbling around with cold hands.

"Remember it's over the first lace and then under…" he encouraged softly. "You can do it, honey…just like you did yours."

A few more minutes ticked by until Janessa heaved a sigh. "I can't gets it…" she growled.

Riley could feel her cold hands so he grabbed one gently and squeezed it. "You can do it. Take your time, baby girl…"

Janessa snatched her hands away indignantly. "I'm not a baby!"

Riley couldn't help but chuckle. Leave it to him to insult a five-year-old. He was battling a thousand when it came to people skills today. "I know you're not a baby. I know you can do it!"

He felt her go back to work and he held his breath silently cheering her on…if she could free his hands, he'd be in a better position to defend them when Trace returned.

"I gots it!" Janessa declared triumphantly.

"Good girl! Now pump your legs."

Riley gritted his teeth when Janessa began to cycle her legs quickly. Within a few moments, the ties snapped and his hands were freed.

He quickly spun around and enveloped the little girl in his arms. "You're my hero, Janessa."

He felt the little girl melt into his embrace, her small fragile body quivering. He puffed out his cheeks feeling the enormous weight on his shoulders press in. He suddenly realised how stupid his actions were. He should have trusted Gibbs instead of running off half-cocked. He hadn't thought things through and now he'd put Janessa in danger. Riley didn't even know why Trace took Janessa. He could have left her behind like Aimee. What was the guy thinking? Riley tried to chase away the gloomy thoughts that threatened to overwhelm him. Now wasn't the time to speculate. This wasn't about his fears anymore.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Tony slammed the door to his car as he double-checked messages on his phone. He hadn't missed any. He'd checked out every lead. McGee had given him some to check out but none of them had panned out. They had no clue where Michael Trace was or where he'd have taken Riley, Abby and Janessa. They were at a standstill until the lunatic reached out to them, and they were sure that was the plan. Anytime a case involved the kidnapping of a child, there was always a phone call and some kind of ransom. They were playing the dreaded waiting game now, feeling every bit at the kidnapper's mercy. Tony stood in front of one of the unidentified vehicles in Gibbs' laneway. He now knew that one belonged to Lane Brody whom they had taken into custody, but the other still remained a mystery. If it belonged to Trace then how did he manage to get away with his hostages? They had run the plates but had turned up empty-handed. The plates weren't registered to anyone in their database. That in itself was odd. Plates always belonged to someone; even discarded plates could be traced. Tony stopped and angrily pounded a fist on the trunk of the black Nissan then he frowned. He leaned in closer and put his ear to the trunk.

"Let me out!" came a familiar yet muffled voice.

"Abbs?" Could it be?

"Tony? Oh my god, Tony! Get me out of here!"

Tony rushed to the side of the car to see if the doors were locked. They were. "Hang on, Abbs, I'll get you out."

Tony took a moment to think. He knew Abby; she'd be working to free herself. If she hadn't escaped already, it meant that she'd only recently gained consciousness. He couldn't be sure how injured she was, and he didn't want to draw attention to that at the moment. He rushed up to Gibbs' bay window and knocked on it. It didn't take long before Gibbs was by his side with Aimee and Makayla in tow. Gibbs went to his garage and immediately began doing what he could to jimmy the locks. Tony was actually surprised to see Gibbs owned a Slim Jim.

Gibbs frowned. "Ness locked herself in my car," he seemed compelled to say.

Tony nodded with a chuckle. Gibbs and he had developed their own kind of communication. It felt like either one even needed to ask the question before the other answered.

"Abby, daddy will get you out," Aimee said loudly, knocking on the trunk.

Makayla stood by silently watching.

"Keep out of the way, Baby doll," said Tony, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her back. Abby was known for her hasty exits. If the Goth found a way to release the trunk before they did, it would be flying open.

Tony heard the door lock click and Gibbs rushed to pop the trunk. In a second, the trunk sprang up allowing Tony to see a sweat-soaked Abby staring up at him. Aimee rushed ahead and threw her arms around Abby.

"Are you okay?" the little girl asked, concern written all over her face.

Abby looked dishevelled with a large bruise was forming on her cheek. Tony reached down and helped Abby crawl out of the trunk. He drew her trembling form into his arms. A quick glance into the trunk told him Abby had been minutes away from escaping on her own. She'd managed to dissemble the entire trunk, giving her access to the backseat of the car.

"I'm surprised we beat ya to it," he joked lightly.

She managed a weak smile as she pulled away. "It's not as easy in the dark, DiNozzo." She punched him in the arm.

Tony cringed playfully and smiled at her.

Gibbs came up behind the Goth and pulled her into his arms in the fatherly way only Gibbs could do with the woman. Tony watched as Abby melted into the embrace. Abby had been frightened but she only allowed that fear to show for a few seconds in Papa Gibbs' arms then it disappeared as quickly as it came.

"What happened?"

XxXxNCISxXxX

Abby's pale face peeked out from under the hood of Gibbs' large USMC sweatshirt. Gibbs wrapped another blanket around the Goth's shoulders and sat beside her on the sofa as Makayla handed her a warm mug of tea. Tony held Aimee on his lap securely as the little girl snuggled into him like he was her lifeline. He hoped she'd fall asleep because the dark circles under her eyes worried him. Aimee needed some time to process what happened and sleep would help. He couldn't send her from the room with her looking the way she did. She needed comfort and support which meant they all needed to be careful what they said around her.

Gibbs watched as Makayla scurried out of the room once more, quite obviously avoiding him. He wasn't sure how to address that. There clearly would be consequences heading her way soon enough but not now. First things first. He wasn't so upset with her that she had to hide from him. Gibbs sighed, not knowing how to deal with everything all at once. He was used to multi-tasking but this was feeling overwhelming even to him.

"…the guy said he was looking for Riley…"

"Lane Brody. Riley concocted a plan to keep you busy so he could break into my safe to get my SIG," said Gibbs, not the least amused. Riley was another kid in serious trouble with him. Gibbs was wavering on his hands-off policy with the kid. There had to be a loophole for parents and guardians to kick teenage butt under extenuating circumstances, no matter what the kid had been through in his life.

"We heard a commotion in the family room, and Lane burst past me like a madman. I followed him but, Gibbs, it was all so confusing. When we came in this room, Riley was already knocked out cold and the other guy was holding Janessa in his arms." Abby's voice caught in her throat and her face paled further.

Gibbs patted her knee kindly. "It's okay, Abbs…"

"It's not!" she shouted, shivering under the blanket wrapped around her. "Nessie was screaming and he kept shaking her and telling her to shut up. It all happened so fast, Gibbs. Riley's friend lunged for the gun but the guy seemed to anticipate our every move. The bastard swung around and pistol-whipped Lane. I just stood there, Gibbs. I didn't know what else to do. I was so afraid he'd hurt Janessa."

Gibbs pulled Abby into an embrace. "It's not your fault, Abby."

Tony cleared his throat. "How long do you think, Boss?"

Gibbs glanced at his watch, thinking. "Not long now."

"For what?" piped up Aimee, looking sleepy in Tony's lap.

"Until you fall asleep, Squirt," said Tony, bumping his knee up suddenly

Aimee yawned as more tears rolled down her cheeks. "Will he hurt Janessa?"

Gibbs shook his head. "No, honey. The kidnapper wants something, so he won't hurt your sister. How about you go with Abby and put your pyjamas on? You too, Abbs. Get into something more comfortable."

"Gibbs," Abby protested.

Gibbs tightened his embrace and caught Abby's eye contact. He really needed to talk to Tony alone with Aimee listening. He hoped that Abby would understand that. Gibbs stood up, lifting Abby to her feet in one fluid movement. Abby looked as tired as Aimee; he was going to pull the dad card on both of them.

"No arguments from either one of you," he growled.

Tony stood to his feet, sliding Aimee to the floor. "Your dad's right, Baby doll. Sleep is what you both need right now."

Abby's face reddened in indignation, alerting Gibbs to the fact that the Goth was too distraught to catch his nonverbals. He knew Abby wasn't herself. She knew much more than she was able to tell him at the moment but she'd told him enough for now. Gibbs leaned into Abby and whispered, "Please, Abbs, I need you to take Aimee out of the room so I can talk with Tony alone."

Gibbs felt Abby relax in his arms. She understood now. It wasn't so much about her as it was about Aimee. They all needed to spare the little girl more trauma.

Aimee burst into tears and threw herself into Gibbs' arms. "No, daddy. I don't want to go to bed until Janessa is back. Please, daddy."

Gibbs drew the little girl into his arms and hugged her tightly. "No one said anything about going to bed. I just want you to get into your pyjamas. Abby had a very scary time. She needs you to cooperate with her and then you can both come back downstairs."

Aimee shook her head, not at all willing to comply.

Abby reached out to try and take Aimee from Gibbs' arms but it was to no avail. The child clung to Gibbs' neck with a chokehold grip. There was no way Aimee was letting go of her dad.

"I'll handle things, Gibbs and let you know," reassured Tony heading towards the foyer and tossing Gibbs a look of sympathy. "McGee's got a tap…just answer your phone when it rings."

Gibbs puffed out his cheeks. How often had he given a similar command to sit tight and wait? It seemed like Karma was biting him in the ass. He knew he'd been more than a bastard to families in the past. It seemed fitting that he enjoy the same fate.


	26. Chapter 26

_**Hi Readers!**_

_**I hope you are all well. **_

_**Life is very different for all of us right now. My thoughts are with you all.**_

_**I hope my story will help bring you some joy during these uncertain times.**_

_**It's short but I have very little time to write these days with trying to keep all the kids busy and happy.**_

_**Love to you all,**_

_**Jenny Wrens :)**_

Gibbs puffed out his cheeks and raked a weary hand through his more salt than pepper hair. His heavy eyes caught a glance at the clock reminding him that he should have been grabbing a couple of hours shut-eye before daylight. He needed to get some rest to deal with whatever came his way in a couple of hours. Aimee, Makayla and Abby would need him on top of his game. Those three could keep him on his toes just by being awake. Yet, here he sat with his mind spinning, nursing a cold cup of dreadful coffee and doodling on the back of a drawing Janessa had left on the table. He closed his eyes as a gut-wrenching grimace flooded his face. His heart didn't just simply ache; it burned unbearably, like red hot coals being seared against his skin. He didn't even want to speculate what was happening to his sweet baby girl. If he allowed himself to go there, he'd lose his mind.

"Gibbs?"

Abby's soft voice washed over him like soothing aloe, making him relax his shoulders a little as he turned to look at her face in the dimness of the room.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" he asked with a fatherly tone and lift to his brow. He couldn't help himself. His desire to take care of those he loved controlled him.

"I should ask you the same," she stated in her normal sassy way.

Gibbs couldn't help but chuckle. He loved every bit of that sass.

Abby sat down at the table chewing on her bottom lip pensively. "Thinking about Nessie?"

Gibbs sucked in a sharp breath at the mention of Janessa's name. He had to keep it together or he'd lose what little grip he had left over himself. He felt like all the oxygen was being sucked from his lungs. Every single breath ravaged him. All he could do was nod and stare at the mug in his hand.

"I'm so sorry, Gibbs."

Gibbs' head flew up in confusion.

Abby had tears running down her cheeks. "It's my fault," she choked out.

Gibbs' heart felt like it would shatter as he looked up to see his oldest girl crumbling to pieces in front of him. It felt like his entire world had been ripped out his hands and tossed into an angry, raging sea. The dam had burst and there was no way to gain control of it.

"Abbs…"

"No, Gibbs please, just listen," she whispered, holding up a hand to stop him from speaking. "I lied to you before. Riley wasn't unconscious when I burst into the room. His friend, what did you say his name was? He rushed past me, telling me to stay back but I was afraid, Gibbs. I couldn't just stand there so I ran after him..."

Gibbs frowned but listened. He didn't care that Abby lied but he did wonder why and if anything she was going to tell him would make any significant difference in how they should proceed. Abby had a way of running into danger without thinking but she was never malicious. She always had a big-hearted reason. He knew she hadn't purposely held back pertinent information.

"His name is Lane Brody."

"Gibbs…" Abby stopped to choke back a sob. He reached across the table and grabbed her cold hands in his. Her watery green eyes locked on his and her lower lip trembled. "I-I distracted them when I came in…oh, God, Gibbs, I should have listened to Lane." Abby sniffled and went on, "I screamed when I saw the guy pointing a gun at Nessie…I thought…I thought…" Abby dissolved into sobs but Gibbs could see how desperate she was to find a way to continue speaking.

Gibbs felt the icy cold fingers of despair creep up the back of his neck. He swallowed back the bitter taste that filled his mouth. Abby's words only solidified what he already knew; they were dealing with a monster. No sane, rational person would point a gun at a child. There was a possibility that Janessa might not survive this. His heart pounded hard against his rib cage stealing his breath away, nearly making him gasp out loud. Gibbs forced himself to push those thoughts aside. They had no place in his head right now.

"R-Riley…he…he attempted to grab the gun and Lane tried to get to Janessa. She was crying, Gibbs. She was so scared...I tried to get her to run to me but she was too scared. She hid behind Riley. I tried to get to her but the guy backhanded me and sent me flying. He was so fast, Gibbs." Abby choked on her words, sobbing and trembling. "What does he want, Gibbs?"

Gibbs rose to his feet and rounded the table to draw his Goth girl into his arms. The million-dollar question. If only he knew. "I wish I knew, Abbs."

"It's all my fault…"

Gibbs didn't know why Abby had felt the need to lie to him but he didn't care. Abby was Abby. She didn't always think things through but he knew she reacted out of love. None of it was her fault, even if she thought so. Emotions were running high all around.

"Hush, now," he crooned softly. The details weren't of any importance to him right now. Details got mixed up. Emotions and fear skewed things. The important details remained, and that was all that mattered right now.

Abby shook her head. "No, you need to listen to me."

Gibbs heaved a sigh. "Abby, none of this matters…"

"It matters to me!" she snapped. Gibbs nodded as he stood helplessly in front of her, deciding to remain silent until she was finished. "Riley did his best, Gibbs. He really did but he couldn't fight back. The guy sucker-punched him while his attention was on Janessa. Riley tried to keep Nessie safe but the guy grabbed Ness and shot Lane…"

Abby's face grew paler than pale, her ashen lips quivering. "H-He grabbed my arm and dragged us both out the door. I fought and screamed…oh, god, Gibbs…I shouldn't have done that. I should have cooperated. I could have been with Nessie right now. I could have protected her…but I fought so hard that the guy smacked me so hard…I must have hit my head when I fell. I'm so sorry, Gibbs…I'm so…so sorry." Abby dropped her head to the table and sobbed, her entire body convulsing into pain wracking sobs.

Gibbs took a deep breath blinking back his own emotions and pressed a kiss to the top of Abby's black hair. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into him. Gibbs didn't even want to speculate on what the perpetrator had wanted with his Abbs. He'd lose his mind and none of it mattered now. She was safe.

XxXxNCISxXxX

"I should have known you'd find a way to break free," said a sharp voice.

Riley's head flew up to see Trace enter the dimly lit room. He adjusted the dead weight of Janessa's sleeping form in his arms. It had taken a long time to get her calmed down enough to sleep. He'd dusted off every fairy tale he remembered from his early childhood but eventually, she'd succumbed to her fatigue. He didn't relish the thought of the child waking up just yet, though.

"What do you want?" Riley said, surprised at how low yet forceful his voice sounded even in his ears. He amazed himself at how brave it sounded despite how desperate he felt.

Trace leaned against the door frame, pulling a cigarette out of his mouth and blowing the smoke into the air. The man seemed to be studying Riley. Riley knew he must have looked a pitiful sight sitting on the floor with a small child asleep in his arms. He was injured and defenceless. It dawned on Riley just then why Trace had dragged Janessa along. Control. As long as Janessa was there, Riley was Trace's puppet. Riley would do anything Trace said to keep the little girl safe. Trace was a player, and right now damn good at the game.

"I would have thought the Marines had taught you a thing or two about survival, Janssen."

Riley worked to free himself from Janessa. In her sleep, she had her tiny hand gripping his shirt. He was surprised how tightly a grip she had on him, even in a sound sleep. He swallowed slowly as he worked to open the little girl's finger to release his shirt.

"Getting close to people makes you a pawn. You should know that by now."

Riley clenched his jaw at the words. He was such a fool to believe that Trace ever wanted to help him. He'd been such a stupid, naïve kid. He stopped trying to pry Janessa's fingers loose and rested his head against the wall. His eyes locked on Trace.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing from you."

"You're a sick bastard."

"Careful, Janssen. Your teeth are showing."

"You think you'll ever be safe again if you hurt her? Agent Gibbs will hunt you down like the rabid animal you are."

Trace laughed and tossed his cigarette to the floor, stomping on it with his foot. He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and began to fold it. Riley felt his heart thrashing against his ribcage making him wince. He should have been used to feeling helpless but helplessness mixed with desperation didn't leave a pleasant taste in anyone's mouth. He had always been able to fight back. He looked down at Janessa who slept restlessly in his arm, gripping his shirt for all she was worth.

"I considered joining the Air force when I first signed up," Trace said as he continued to mess around with the paper in his hand.

Riley frowned when he realized the man was making a paper airplane. He puffed out his cheeks to calm his racing heart. It was so loud in his ears; he thought for sure it would wake Janessa.

"Changed my mind, though. A Marine is a trained machine on the ground. Heads up, Janssen."

Riley's eyes widened when Trace sent the paper airplane in his direction. He reached up and caught the plane before the sharp point hit Janessa in the side of her cheek. What the heck kind of game was the guy playing? Riley glared at Trace and crumpled up the paper in his hand.

Trace smirked. "Might want to take a look at that."

Riley's hands trembled as he opened the paper to look at it. He forced himself to remain detached as he digested what Trace was after. His eyelid began to twitch as it often did when he found himself under tremendous stress. "You're a crazy son of a bitch…"

A Cheshire cat smile flooded Trace's face as pulled out a cell phone from his pocket and held it up for Riley to see. "Wake the kid."

Trace tossed the phone in Riley's direction. Riley caught it, feeling the colour drain from his face. He regretted a lot of things in his life but none more than now. He didn't see a way of getting him or Janessa out alive and that realization was consuming him. The next move made could end in checkmate for them all.

XxXxNCISxXxX

The kitchen phone rang in the distance just as Gibbs pulled a warm blanket over Abby's sleeping form. She'd finally fallen asleep once again on the sofa in the family room. Gibbs frowned. He couldn't remember the last time his kitchen phone had rung. No one tended to use landlines anymore. He only kept it for emergencies and had a difficult time even remembering the number anymore. Gibbs walked towards his kitchen, rounding the corner, taking a deep breath and picking the phone up off the receiver.

"Jethro Gibbs speaking," he said, clearing his throat slightly.

"Daddy," cried a tiny voice sounding so frightened and far away.

Gibbs' breath caught in his throat. Janessa. "It's daddy, honey. I'm here."

"I wants you…"He winced when he heard her gasp, scream and dissolve into sobs. Shuffling in the background could be heard as Janessa's sobs became muffled. Goose flesh prickled both arms as he heard breathing on the line.

"Gibbs." Riley's voice sounded hoarse in Gibbs' ear.

"Riley. Are you okay?" Gibbs could hear the fear in Riley's voice. As much as he wanted to pelt the kid with questions, he refrained. Now wasn't the time.

"Project Continego. Do you know about it?"

Gibbs frowned. He knew of it. Barely. "No, what is it?"

The kid cleared his throat. "I need you to text the quadrants to this number."

Gibbs chewed his bottom lip. He didn't know the quadrants; neither did Jenn or SecNav. Those quadrants were classified beyond any of them. Project Continego was classified higher than high could go. No one knew much about it. As far as quadrants, who would even know that the Navy had set quadrants? The President? The secretary of defence?

"Text the quadrants and transfer the same amount as those quadrants to this account. Got a pen?"

"Yah." He didn't. It didn't matter the amount. No one would ever receive a dime. They did not negotiate with terrorists or kidnappers…or anyone. That was not how things worked. He was invested in most cases, particularly ones with children but his knowledge about NCIS and the government did not give him any comfort at all.

"64527831. You have 4 hours and then…" Riley's voice cut off. Gibbs strained to hear sounds in the background, anything that would divulge where they were being held.

"What's the number? No display on this phone."

Shuffling could be heard in the background once again. As hard as Gibbs tried, he couldn't hear Janessa anymore, not even a whimper.

"Dammit, what number did I call?"

"Landline."

A string of curse words filled Gibbs' ear. He'd never heard that from Riley's mouth before. He wasn't surprised. The kid had trained as a Marine. Gibbs learned a whole new vocabulary when he joined. Gibbs narrowed a brow. Come to think of it, it was odd that Riley called this number. He didn't even know how the kid knew the number.

"222-555-5450."

Gibbs wrote it on the back of Janessa's drawing beside his earlier doodle. "Got it."

"Lobslinger…" Riley rushed on to say before Gibbs heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh and then a dial tone. Gibbs shut his eyes tightly to calm his breathing. Riley Janssen was one hell of a brave kid; a brazen, stupid kid but brave all the same. 222 wasn't the area code for Washington DC. 222 was something else. 222 was the address of the neighbour who owned a dog named Lobslinger. The same neighbour who lived across the damned street.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Riley wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stared at it. Crimson blood stained his skin; the moment struck him as surreal. He found himself stunned at his disbelief. His time with Gibbs had knocked him off his game. He should have known better. Riley looked at his assailant for a moment and found it amusing that he felt little discomfort. He seemed to be running on pure adrenaline now. He scoffed. Maybe he could even lift a car with his bare hands now. Who knew. If it wasn't for Janessa, he'd probably have put his fist through Trace's face or at least died trying. He sure as hell wouldn't have gone down without a fight, but Trace had him over a barrel with Janessa's big brown eyes watching him so closely. Riley chanced a glance at the small girl watching him with watery eyes. Her lower lip trembled as she stood frozen in fear. He winked at her and smiled. He had to keep making it like a game.

"What's Lobslinger?"

Riley straightened to his full height and shook his head. He had nothing to hide. Trace was the cocky idiot that let him make the ransom call. Riley used what he could to reveal their whereabouts. Gibbs wasn't a stupid man. He'd figure it out soon enough. Riley had been around the neighbourhood long enough to recognize where he was. Trace had made some poor judgement calls. "The name of a dog."

Trace's face twisted into a scowl before he lurched forward and grabbed Riley by the throat. At first, the sudden attack caught Riley off guard but he quickly recovered and swiped out Trace's feet from beneath him. Taking the high ground, Riley threw himself on top of Trace.

"Run, Janessa!"

The door was open. Janessa could escape. From the corner of his eye, Riley willed Janessa to run as fast as she could but she didn't. She stood stock-still with her small mouth wide open.


	27. Chapter 27

_**Thank you Bohogal1998, HannaBananas13, Guest, DS2010, AureaD, Fan, athousandsuns101, KrisShannon, 90theGeneral09 and Nmasters12 for your reviews!**_

_**As much as you enjoy reading my stories, I LOVE your reviews! Each one gives me a smile. Thank you for taking the time to drop me a few words.**_

_**Raise your hand if you are ready for the lockdown to end! I am going insane some days...my kids are going insane some days. I've never been so grateful to live in the country, but the weather is STILL so cold and I also think it has some kind of mental illness...warm, cold, SNOW, rain, warm again. For the love of Pete, MAKE up your cotton-picking mind already! It HAILED today! HAIL! What the heck? Normally, I am more patient with spring but my children need outside time for their sanity and MINE. **_

_**Breathe Jenny Breathe...thankfully I have a wonderful hubby who has given me some time to myself today. I sought refuge in this story.**_

_**This chapter feels a little confusing...I hope it is not. It makes perfect sense in my head, but I struggled to make it make sense on paper. **_

_**I hope you enjoy...all will become clearer as things come to light. Also, action scenes are not my forte. Let's face it, I'm not a NCIS agent LOL I'm much better at writing emotional scenes with kids and parents because I have LOADs of experience with that :D**_

_**Anyway, enjoy and let me know how you're managing in this crazy quarantine. **_

_**Blessings and love,**_

_**Jenny Wrens :)**_

"Are you sure you're up to this, Boss?"

Gibbs worked hard to keep his emotions in check while Tony's words echoed in his head. The question pissed him off. Hell, it still pissed him off, but Gibbs looked down at his hands and could see the tremor for himself. He wasn't detached this time. This one hit too close to home, and he knew it. The best decision he could have made was admitting Tony was right and letting his protégé take the lead. He wasn't thinking rationally. He would make mistakes. Gibbs would be forever grateful to Tony for having the balls to call him out on it. He knew he was a bastard and only a true friend would be ballsy enough to do call him out on it. Gibbs stopped to look in the mirror for a second, noting the dark circles under his eyes and the stress lines creasing his face. When this was all said and done, he was going to take a long bachelor fishing vacation far away from D.C, NCIS and children.

"Did you find them?"

Gibbs was startled to see Makayla standing on the stairs behind him, a look of concern on her still sleepy face. Gibbs took a few steps towards her, masking his emotions from her. He wasn't sure what the best plan of attack would be with the teen girl. There were already enough issues that needed to be addressed with her. He didn't trust himself enough yet to go there. She'd crossed so many lines with him, and at this moment, she was treading in dangerously deep water. The last thing he needed was her thinking she could help. As much as he didn't like lying to her, it was probably his best option at this point. He would probably live to regret the decision later but sometimes desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Not yet." Gibbs grabbed his jacket from the hall coatrack and headed towards the door. "It's still early; try and get some more shuteye."

Makayla came down the stairs further. "Gibbs, I know you're mad at me…for everything…leaving the hospital, I mean…and…"

Gibbs whirled around, his expression was grim. "Makayla, now is not the time for this discussion." He was not a man of many words normally but if she couldn't read his body language loud and clear, she was in for the surprise of her life.

The teen girl's eyes widened. "I-I…" she stammered.

"Save it. I know you're sorry. You're always sorry but sometimes sorry isn't good enough. Sometimes things are bigger than you. Sometimes you just need to do what you're told." Gibbs closed his eyes for a second and shook his head. He did not want to have this conversation with her. Not now.

"I can't do this right now. I have to go."

"Where are you going?"

"Meeting up with Tony." Not a complete lie.

"Why?"

Gibbs stopped and heaved a sigh. "That's not any of your concern, Mak. Your job is to go back to bed!"

Makayla frowned at him as her green eyes seemed to bore into him. Gibbs felt exposed by the intensity. The connection felt electric. It seemed like kindred spirits had a deeper relationship than he knew or understood. He being able to tell when she was lying was beneficial, but it wasn't helpful the other way around considering he was an adult and she was still a child. Still, he was in awe of the connection just the same.

"You're lying! You know where they are!" Her tone was high pitched and accusing. "Why won't you tell me?" Her green eyes filled with tears as she continued to read his cobalt blue eyes.

Gibbs blinked fast to break the link between them. It was obvious she was reading his fears loud and clear. His greatest fear did not equal truth. He took a step towards her, gripping her hard by the forearm. His heart ached a little when he saw her wince but he didn't release his grasp.

"Listen to me." He shook her. "NCIS is doing everything possible to get them out alive. You can't help."

She shoved him away, fire igniting her eyes. "Tell me where they are!"

Gibbs grabbed her chin firmly, "Every minute I stand here arguing with you is one minute longer they remain in danger. You need to trust me. Stay put!" He gave her chin a firm shake and turned to leave. Makayla had pushed him farther than he'd like to admit. He never liked to let the sun go down on his anger, probably another reason his mind had not let him rest. He was upset with the girl and had let the whole thing simmer to a near close eruption. She had avoided him the night before because she knew. Now all bets were off. When everything was said and done, they would have a confrontation and it wasn't going to end well for Makayla. That was for damn sure.

"Gibbs!" she called after him.

Gibbs clenched his jaw but kept walking.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Tony's heart pounded hard against his ribcage as he looked up to make eye contact with Tim McGee. Years of training and working together had taught them to communicate without a word exchanged between them. Tony turned to see Ziva nod in his direction. They were ready. Tony bit down on his lower lip as Gibbs walked up the sidewalk casually; probably something the man had done many times before as he participated in his community. Gibbs lived in a tight-knit community with an active community watch group and a nosey PTA. The neighbours knew each other and kept an eye out for one another. It wouldn't be unusual for Gibbs to be checking in on a neighbour. Everything looked normal. The morning had barely broken. Sunrise was expected at 7 am so they had that advantage. Most of the neighbourhood was still peacefully slumbering which worked in their favour. The less attention the better.

"DiNozzo?" Gibbs said so softly that his lips hardly moved.

"All's clear," Tony whispered back. No movement and no sounds.

Gibbs rang the doorbell and waited, his body language showing he was on full alert. Gibbs was on his game, professional as ever. Tony heaved a concerned sigh, however. He would have liked to keep Gibbs away altogether but knew he stood no chance in hell of doing that. Lowering himself to his haunches, Tony's heart rate continued to elevate as he watched his mentor and good friend stand on the front steps.

Tony taking the lead was the best choice in this uncertain scenario. The only choice. He knew Gibbs respected him enough to back off if he was told. None of them liked it, but Gibbs was not in the presence of mind to call the shots right now; no one more than Tony had hated calling Gibbs out on that reality. Gibbs was not objective right now. He could make a mistake. One that he might not come back from. Tony would not allow that, and Gibbs knew it. Tony had no doubts in his mind that Gibbs would allow him to lead. Their relationship was based on trust.

Gibbs rang the doorbell again and waited. As Tony began to rise to his full height, he twisted his head in the direction of Gibbs' house across the street. His mouth dropped open in stunned bewilderment when he saw Makayla walk down the laneway towards Gibbs. Quickly coming to his senses, he waved at her to get her attention but despite seeing him, she shook her head. He puffed air from his cheeks in frustration. What the hell was she doing?

"Gibbs, wait!" Makayla shouted from across the street. Tony watched as Gibbs spun on his heel and froze. There was no mistaking the look of disbelief on the man's face. He was shell-shocked. Makayla's presence had thrown him for a loop. Kids had a way of doing that. They were impulsive and acted in uncharacteristic ways. You could never guarantee how they would react, however, Makayla's actions right now took the cake. The look of determination on her face made Tony realize that her presence wasn't by mistake. She seemed to know exactly what she was doing.

Tony held his breath as he watched Makayla stop at the end of the laneway and stare Gibbs down. The non-verbals between them seemed to scream at decibels no one else could hear. Tony swallowed and blinked several times, not even realizing he was holding his breath. What the hell was going on? He turned his head to see Tim's face as bewildered as his, shrugging his shoulders and not knowing how to proceed. Tony touched his ear, giving a very clear order to Ziva. Ziva nodded almost indiscernibly. They were used to uncertainties. They always had contingency plans.

After a few moments of the wordless stare down, the teenager furrowed her brow and turned back towards the house. Tony heaved a sigh of relief for a moment before his heart jumped to his throat once more as he watched the teenage girl disappear behind the house. His gut told him they hadn't seen the last of Makayla, but he did his best to swipe that foreboding feeling away.

"Movement in the house," Ziva's voice brought Tony's attention back to the matter at hand. For now, Makayla's whereabouts would have to wait. He could only hope and pray the girl wouldn't do anything stupid.

XxXxNCISxXxX

The colour drained from Gibbs' face as he watched Trace fall to the floor with a sickening thud. Janessa's eyes never left Gibbs' as she fell to the ground only to quickly regain her footing and fly towards him. Gibbs' instincts took over as he gathered and sheltered the small weeping girl into his arms. Time seemed to stand still as he felt her trembling body pressed against his. Her galloping heart pounded in unison with his. She was alive. Oh, God, she was alive.

He pulled away checking her all over to be sure she wasn't injured, kissing each finger and both pink cheeks. Her tiny lips trembled; her eyes were as round as saucers. He twisted his body in such a way that she could only see him and the wall behind them. He needed to shield her from the trauma. She was alive. She'd be okay. He didn't even have time to process what happened as he drank in her sweet little girl goodness. From the corner of his eye, he saw Tony kneeling beside Riley, his PROTÉGÉ'S face as white as a sheet of paper. Makayla lay curled in a ball on the floor with her hands wrapped around her head. Riley found his legs and made his way to her side, clutching his side. He grimaced as he pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her in what looked like a death grip. Gibbs could not miss the look of relief that flooded across Riley's pale face as he rested his dark head on top of Makayla's. Both kids' eyes trailed to the center of the room where Trace lay still in a pool of his own blood. It had been close. Too damned close. But it was over.

Gibbs made his way across the room and pulled both teenagers into a shaky embrace with Janessa squished in the middle. The four of them stayed like that for several long moments until Riley pulled away. Gibbs reluctantly let go but his eyes remained transfixed on the youth.

Riley pulled Janessa into his arms, also shielding her eyes from the bloody scene in the room. "Are you hurt?" His voice sounded hoarse.

The little girl snuggled into him and shook her head.

"She's fine," Gibbs assured him, a small sigh of relief emitting from his lips as he digested the words himself. Janessa was safe. Riley and Makayla were fine. It was over.

Janessa wrapped her arms around Riley's neck and kissed his cheek. Her watery eyes seemed to drink him in. "I thoughts he would kill you," the small girl whispered.

Riley shook his head with a wiry smirk. "Nope! Big brothers can't die. You're stuck with me, kid." Riley hugged her again and Gibbs started to breathe again. He felt like pinching himself so he would believe it was true. He felt Makayla trembling beneath his hold on her. He knew she was still reeling in the what-ifs. He turned to cup her cheek. "You okay?"

She nodded as tears cascaded down her cheeks. Gibbs knew she wasn't.

Tony cleared his throat as he walked towards them, "Let's take the reunion into another room."

Gibbs nodded his agreement.

Ziva and Tim began to work the crime scene as they filed out of the room in silence.

Once outside the room, Tony rounded on Makayla grabbing her roughly by the arm. "What the hell were you thinking?" He bit out fiercely.

Makayla's eyes widened as tears traced a path down her cheeks. Gibbs' brows rose in consternation. It wasn't often Tony got angry but when he did, his Italian ancestry jumped to the forefront.

Gibbs stepped forward, pulling Tony back. "Not now, DiNozzo!" Gibbs said firmly. "This isn't the time for this conversation."

Tony's anger was palpable enveloping the entire room.

"Tony." Gibbs' voice held a pleading tone to it. Not something he used with his protégé like ever. Gibbs was formidable. He didn't beg, but Tony needed to take a step back. Gibbs wasn't in the right frame of mind right now. None of them were. They needed time to digest what had happened.

Tony narrowed his eyes. "She could have gotten them killed…"

Gibbs nodded and pinched his nose. Tony was correct, and he'd be damned if this incident wouldn't remain burned into his consciousness for a lifetime. Closing his eyes, images flooded into his mind painfully devouring his senses. He'd burst into the room, taking Trace off guard but had ended in a stalemate when Trace grabbed Janessa and held his weapon on Riley. One look at Riley had told him Trace had gotten the upper hand more than once. But Trace also looked more than a little worse for wear. Riley had gotten his own hits in. Gibbs couldn't forget the expression etched on Riley's face. It was clear Riley was willing to sacrifice his life for Janessa.

"I'm sorry," Makayla sobbed, bringing Gibbs' attention back to the present. Her whole body trembled as she stood facing down Tony's glare. Gibbs had to give her credit for being able to withstand the pressure.

"It's okay, Mak," Riley said, stepping towards her with Janessa still in his arms. Gibbs couldn't miss the guilt swimming in Riley's eyes. So much blame to go around, it seemed.

"NO! It's not okay," she cried, whirling around to stare at him with a haunted expression.

"Damn straight, it's not," snapped Tony, clenching his jaw tightly.

"Tony…" Gibbs heard the foreign pleading in his voice once again.

"I could have killed her, Gibbs." Tony's voice broke.

Gibbs blinked again, his mind haunted by the images.

XxXx

Janessa was struggling and screaming as Gibbs levelled a steady hand on his weapon. From the outside, he knew he looked in complete control, but inside, his gut churned. It struck him how terrifying everything must have seemed from Janessa's vantage point. Her daddy was pointing a gun in her direction, for Pete's sake. Tears burned the back of his throat.

"Gonna risk shooting your kid?"Trace asked him, a sneer on his face.

Gibbs could still see Tony, Tim and Ziva standing across the room, their stances firm. They had kicked in a door adjacent to him seconds after he'd entered. Their entrances hadn't deterred Trace. Marines had nerves of steel. They expected the unexpected. Trace wasn't anything if he wasn't a well-trained Marine.

"Let her go."Gibbs' demanded.

Trace swung his gun from Riley towards Gibbs and then he turned the gun towards Janessa. "Back off!"

Gibbs sucked in a breath as he saw Tony take a step closer, his weapon also trained on Trace.

"I'll kill her. You know I will." Gibbs knew he'd try. Trace had nothing left to lose.

Gibbs lowered himself slowly to the ground and set his weapon on the floor. He rose to his full height with his hands in the air and locked eyes with Janessa. "Look at me, Janessa." He waved his fingers to capture the little girl's attention. His voice seemed to quell the little girl and she stopped crying long enough to look at him. Gibbs heard Tony say Ziva's name and felt his heart rate pick up. It was as if he was going through the cues in slow motion. They'd done all this before.

"Keep looking at daddy, honey. You're okay."

The little girl's eyes shimmered with unshed tears. He smiled at her.

"Got it," Ziva said quietly.

The sound of a gun cocking told Gibbs that Ziva had a good lock on Trace. She'd take him down with harming a hair on Janessa's head. She'd taken the same shot before. She could do it again.

Trace adjusted Janessa in his arms and pointed his weapon at her blonde head. "She'll miss."

Dark foreboding thoughts fought for Gibbs' attention. His mouth felt like cotton as he chanced a glance at Ziva standing with rigid confidence. She would not miss.

"Last chance," Gibbs said with a shrug to his shoulders. His detachment surprised even him. Too much practice projecting confidence when he had none. He should take up acting.

From the corner of his eye, Gibbs watched Tony grab Riley around the ankle and pull him ever so slowly towards him to safety. Trace didn't seem to notice as he locked eyes on Gibbs.

"Get out of my way, old man."

XxXx

"What did you think bursting into the room would accomplish, huh? Tell me!" Tony's voice reverberated around the room, forcing Gibbs' attention back to the present. Tony towered over Makayla.

"I don't know." Her voice was only a small whisper.

Gibbs saw her lower lip tremble as she looked into Tony's angry green eyes. Gibbs could see the realization on her face, and as much as he was angry at her as well, his heart was breaking for her. She was just a kid. Kids were impulsive. Except this time, it could have taken her life.

Tony cupped her shoulders giving her a firm shake. "You don't know? For the love of God, Makayla, I almost shot you!" He shouted at her. Makayla stood wide-eyed staring at him. Gibbs could see the regret swimming in her young eyes.

Gibbs came up behind Tony and placed a firm hand on his back. "You need to cool off."

Tony shrugged Gibb's hand off, his green eyes looked wild with the realization. "I could have killed her, Gibbs."

The two of them exchanged a look. Tony was shaking. It would take time for Tony to work through that. He hit Makayla with another piercing look before stocking back towards the crime scene. Gibbs could understand Tony's rage. It had been too close. It would take Tony awhile to recover from it. Hell, it would take Gibbs a lifetime.


	28. Chapter 28

_**Hi Faithful readers!**_

_**I'm still plugging away at the story. I found this chapter hard to write because I wanted to be sure it was less confusing than the last chapter. I often challenge myself to write different techniques, so I'm so sorry if the last chapter was confusing.**_

_**For better or for worse, here it is :)**_

_**My prayer is that you are all enjoying your family time together. I pray that not too many of you have lost jobs or businesses during the pandemic. I'm ready for life to get back to normal. I miss my church family so much. Having church online is just not the same!**_

_**If you haven't found it already, 90theGeneral09 has been writing a story that is in the same universe as mine called Perspective...just click on my favourite stories and it should be at the top. Please read and take time to review. It's fun to see the side stories he is writing to mine.**_

_**Many blessings and love,**_

_**Jenny Wren**_

Tony clenched his jaw so tightly his teeth ground together giving him a tension headache to boot. Slowly, he counted to 10 in his head. Then he counted backwards from 10. If it were possible, others in the room might have seen the steam coming out from his ears if they dared to look at him which they didn't. He turned to press his forehead against the wall, forcing himself to take a long deep breath. He'd been barking orders since he'd returned to the room until Ziva threatened to dropkick him into the middle of next year if he didn't shut up. He'd wisely bit reined in his anger and backed off. He couldn't push past the rage and the storm clouds in his head kept gathering momentum.

He groaned and spun on his heel to take in the scene once more. Ziva was taking pictures while Tim jotted notes; the typical thing they normally did at any crime scene. Only nothing about this was normal. Didn't they get that? Was he the only one who understood that he'd almost shot and killed Makayla? Ducky and Palmer arrived and were quietly bantering between each other as usual. The whole thing felt surreal. The entire team including Gibbs knew everything that had happened. It was a complete waste of time to treat it like any other crime scene. Ziva had taken the creep out. End of story.

Except it wasn't. Tony raked a hand through his dark hair, stopping to tug at a knot that caught between his fingers. He grimaced, kicked the wall and let a string of expletives fall off his lips.

"Why don't you get some air, Anthony," suggested Ducky, turning to stare up at him from where he crouched over the body.

"If you're finished, get the body back to NCIS." Tony snapped back.

The elderly medical examiner frowned at him disapprovingly and stood to his feet with a groan. "We're finished here. Mr. Palmer?"

"Yes, of course." Jimmy Palmer nodded as he scrambled to his feet and walked quickly past Tony casting a sympathetic look in his direction.

Tony sighed. "You can all stop looking at me like I'm going to bit your heads off."

"No offence, Tony, but you did that already." Tim dared to say softly.

Tony scowled at him and then looked at Ziva briefly but she continued taking pictures of the crime scene, her face deadpan. "Do not beat yourself up, Tony," Ziva said softly.

Tony knew that Ziva had witnessed his near mistake. If anyone understood how he was feeling right now, she did. The would'ves and could'ves were spinning freely around in his head, berating him relentlessly. One split-second decision different and Makayla would have died by his hand. Tony closed his eyes as tightly as he could but that did not stop the images from flooding back and suddenly he found himself back on his knees pulling Riley by the ankle to his side.

_He helped Riley sit up, cupping the kid's bruised and bloody cheek. "You okay?" he whispered._

_ Riley grimaced and nodded but the look of relief swimming in his dark eyes was obvious. _

_ Tony patted his cheek before turning his attention back to Gibbs. The older man was doing what he could to capture Janessa's attention. Ziva was frozen like a statue in the shadows, ready to take the kill shot if necessary. Tony always hoped it wouldn't come to that. Ziva wouldn't miss but it still made his stomach churn thinking about little Nessie getting caught in the crosshairs. Trace was unpredictable and clearly felt he had nothing to lose right now. If Tony gave the command and Trace moved, Janessa could be hit._

_ "Last chance." Gibb's said with such confidence that Tony was taken aback. _

_ A glint of light caught Tony's eye as the door behind Gibbs cracked open. The fine hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention. Behind him, Riley gasped telling Tony that the kid had seen it too. Tony turned in his direction to press a finger to his lips. They couldn't afford to have any wrenches thrown into the mix. Riley swallowed and nodded. Tony began to rise to his feet as the door behind Gibbs opened further. Tony cocked his gun. Whoever was entering the room could be an accomplice. _

_ "Get out of my way old man!" Trace said._

_ The door swung open fully as Tony pulled on his trigger._

_ "Gibbs!"_

_ Tony's heart leapt to his throat as he relaxed his trigger finger at the last second recognizing both the fearful voice and the ginger hair._

_ Gibbs spun on his heel with a horrified gasp._

_ "Mak, drop!" shouted Tony._

_ She dropped and curled into a ball. _

_ Tony's pulse pounded in his ear as the feel of the room changed. Trace's eyes went wide as he pulled Janessa tighter to his middle. The sound of his gun cocking was explosive._

_ "Take it!" Tony said._

_ Tony flinched when the bullet hit Trace, and for a split second his eyes locked with the man. Tony watched the light leave his eyes before he fell taking Janessa down with him._

"You could not have known she would walk in like that." Ziva's soft voice pulled him out of his reverie. He looked down when she placed her warm hand in his. For the first time, he realized he was still trembling.

"I could have killed her." He whispered, his emerald green eyes glistening with tears.

"But you did not." She cupped his cheek with her hand.

Tony leaned into her for strength and for the first time since Makayla set foot in the room, he began to breathe normally again. The unshed tears began to roll down his cheeks. Makayla would never understand how close she'd come to dying and Tony would never tell her.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Riley cracked the door open just enough to observe but not be noticed. He figured that the best gift he could give to Gibbs right now was distance. The paramedics had come and gone, checking them over for injuries. Riley appreciated the pain relief but refused to return to the hospital. Thankfully, Gibbs hadn't pressed the matter; however, Riley had the distinct impression that the notion was still very much on the table. Soon after, the house quickly filled with NCIS personnel and the Virginia State police; Gibbs insisted on sheltering the teens in another room away from questions and prying eyes. As much as the man had tried to convince Janessa to stay with Riley, it had been impossible to peel the little girl from his neck. Riley knew that made things twice as hard on Gibbs.

It turned out a trooper by the name of Ellis was the owner of the house. That man's voice seemed to come out on top of everyone else's in the room. Gibbs seemed adept at maintaining control and in time, that voice blended into the rest making it difficult for Riley to follow the conversation at all; however, the grim expression on Gibbs' face spoke volumes. Gibbs spoke softly and with a great deal of control but the firm set to the man's jaw gave away what he was thinking. At least, to Riley it did. Riley swallowed the lump forming in his throat. Each time he managed to dislodge one, another much larger one would form. Everything that had gone down was because of him.

Riley turned to see Makayla staring out the back window of the room. He was glad to see she wasn't trembling as much as before but her silence was eerie. Makayla wasn't often quiet around him.

He walked towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Mak, you okay?" He felt her stiffen.

"Tony is pissed. So is Gibbs."

"Can you blame them?"

She shook her head and whispered, "No."

He spun her around and frowned, his chocolate brown eyes searching hers. "Why'd…?"

She shook off his hand. "Don't." Tears spilled down her cheeks. "Just don't."

"I'm just trying to understand."

Her green eyes shimmered. "You asked me to cover for you…"

"I never asked you to come after me, Mak." She had to understand that, right? He would have never asked her to put herself in danger. He'd only needed a head start.

Makayla choked back a sob. "I found Lane at Gibbs' house…"

"What?" This was news to Riley. It shouldn't have been Makayla.

"When you left the hospital, I came after you…"

Riley was dumbfounded. He would never have guessed Mak would take off after him. He'd been careful to give her very little information. He frowned at her but didn't say anything, waiting for her to continue.

"You said you were going to get Gibbs' gun, Riley. What were you trying to do anyway?"

Riley stared at her, his mind racing in disbelief. He was still stuck back at the thought that Makayla had left the hospital to come after him. What would ever possess her to do such a thing?

"Trace shot Lane! That could have just as easily been you. He could have killed Aimee and Abby too."

"Abby is about as unpredictable as you," he grumbled under his breath remembering the Goth rushing into the room. Lane and Riley could have handled it fine if Abby hadn't thrown a wrench into their plans.

"You should have told Gibbs the truth, and you shouldn't have made me promise not to tell."

Riley narrowed his eyes at her and spoke so softly, he could hardly hear his voice over his thunderous pulse in his ear. "I never asked you to come after me, damn it."

"You didn't have to." Makayla's fiery green eyes pinned him sharply. "You would have done the same thing if it was me…"

"That's different!"

"Why? Because I'm a girl?" she shot back at him. "I needed to know you were okay."

Riley grabbed her by the forearms and shook her. "It was stupid!"

Makayla winced at his words. Tears traced a path down her cheeks as she dropped her quivering chin. After a minute, she shrugged off his grip on her and wandered over to the doorway. She stared out into the commotion of the outer room for several moments before turning to face him.

"I thought I could distract Trace." Makayla's bottom lip trembled. "I'm sorry."

Riley closed his eyes trying with all he had left within him to understand her logic, to comprehend how, in her mind, she could have possibly distracted Trace enough to do anything good for the situation but he just couldn't. As he opened his mouth to speak further, the door behind Makayla opened wide to reveal Gibbs standing in the doorway. He motioned at them to follow him.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs tossed his keys onto the side table and adjusted Janessa's weight to his right hip. The poor little girl had collapsed into what appeared to be a deep sleep of exhaustion. After what had felt like days instead of hours of answering the never-ending myriad of questions, Gibbs finally was able to slip away from the scene. After hours of holding her, Janessa had seemed content to play with the neighbour's dog until she'd worn herself out. Gibbs had been thankful for the reprieve, giving him enough time to attend to what he'd needed to do much quicker. In the end, he'd pulled the tired child into his arms again and made his way across the street to his house. It had only taken a few minutes and in that time, the little girl had passed out. It amazed Gibbs how quickly young children could conk out. Gibbs pressed a soft kiss to her chubby cheek as he gently pulled her thumb from her mouth and rubbed a hand across her back. The early morning events had been terrifying for everyone, and he didn't suppose he would sleep a wink for a very long time or until his mind stopped torturing him over every little detail. He thought he'd made enough changes in his life to keep his kids safe. The realization of how ridiculously stupid that assumption was hit him like a ton of bricks. He'd done nothing compared to what he planned to do.

He turned to see the two exhausted teenagers trudging along behind him. Ducky had given the kids a quick once over even after the paramedics had. One look at Riley told Gibbs he was still hurting badly. Even after the pain meds hit his bloodstream and the clouds in Riley's eyes began to clear, the clench in his jaw never lifted. It matched his own, only Gibbs' wasn't from physical pain. His was from anger and frustration. He still had a lot of questions that needed answers and he'd be damned if he let either teen away with not telling him the truth.

"Have a seat on the sofa," he said nodding his head in the direction of the living room. "I'm gonna tuck Janessa into bed…" It was surprising to him to hear that his voice sounded so calm. Calm was not even remotely how he felt at that moment. He kept oscillating between relief and anger; proud of Riley but severely pissed off at the same time. He glanced at Makayla's pale face and he could hardly contain himself from shaking her. It was disconcerting to feel like he was on such a roller-coaster of emotions.

"I'll do it, Gibbs."

Gibbs looked up to see Abby standing in the archway. She was still dressed in her pyjamas reminding him of how little time had passed since he'd left. It was still morning. An impish smile played on Abby's lips making him grin at her. She'd wrapped him around her baby finger from the first day he'd set eyes on her. He couldn't help but think how deceiving those cute little black pigtails truly were. Abby was more than capable to take care of herself, no matter how much he wanted to protect her. He'd never been more thankful than today that she was so adept.

Gibbs handed Janessa to Abby, wrapping an arm around the Goth and pulling her in tight to him.

"Aimee okay?" he asked.

Abby nodded. "She's still asleep."

Gibbs pinched his nose knowing that things were likely going to be tough with Aimee for a while until she felt safe again. He'd have a long road ahead of him to undo the damage done by Trace. He cursed under his breath. The last thing his girls needed was more trauma. Abby included. Enough was enough.

"How're you doing?" he whispered into her ear as he pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"I'm okay, Gibbs."

He shook his head at her. "Abbs."

She managed a sheepish smile and adjusted Janessa more securely in her arms. "Well, I will be; I've survived 100% of my worst days so far. That's pretty good odds if you ask me." She smirked at him and he couldn't help but chuckle. She kissed him back and disappeared up the steps with Janessa.

Gibbs turned to stare at himself in the mirror above the side table in his foyer. He'd installed that ugly mirror more than 20 years ago when his wife Shannon had complained about needing to run upstairs to check her hair every time she left the house. The silly thing was they'd even quarrelled about it. Gibbs had never seen Shannon when her hair wasn't perfect. Hell, even during her intense labour, she'd stopped between contractions to brush her hair. Shannon made it a priority to put forward a good appearance at all times, despite what was going on around her. She'd insisted that if you looked good, you felt good, no matter what was happening in life. He'd given in and installed the mirror. After that, Gibbs always stopped for a once over before leaving the house. Now, as Gibbs stared at the reflection looking back at him, he wasn't sure he recognized the man staring back. He certainly wasn't the same person he was 20 years ago. He'd survived a lifetime of events. He pulled a comb out of his pocket and straightened his hair. His eye caught sight of the newest picture Janessa had drawn for him. She always dragged a chair over and taped her newest drawings to the mirror for him to see. He smiled seeing the happy smiles of his family in her drawing, each person perfectly captured from Janessa's perspective.

"Agent Gibbs…"

Gibbs turned to see Makayla nervously standing behind him, fidgeting with her hands. Her long red hair was dishevelled and her normally pale complexion was ghostly white. His heartbeat a little faster in his chest as visions of her being shot or worse flashed through his mind. She wasn't his but damn it if he didn't feel like she was.

"I'm sorry" she whispered.

Gibbs sighed. "I know."

Tears filled her eyes and she dropped her chin to her chest. Gibbs gave her the once over again. God knew he'd done that more times than he could count already. She was alive and not injured. He couldn't even say how thankful he was for that. He moved towards her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"No matter how angry I am with you right now, the fact that you're safe trumps everything," he whispered into her ear.

Her watery emerald eyes met his cobalt ones and she managed a teary smile.

Gibbs dropped a kiss on her ginger head. He led her into the living room to find Riley facing the fireplace staring into the flames.

"Felt like a fire," the boy explained as he turned to see Gibbs and Makayla enter the room. "I can't seem to get warm.

Gibbs nodded figuring Riley was probably experiencing some level of belated emotional shock. The warmth from the fire filled the room enveloping Gibbs as well. It felt good. "Take a seat, both of you. We need to talk."

Makayla sat down, curling her legs beneath her but Riley stiffened at the suggestion and remained standing, turning his back to heat his hands in the warmth of the fire.

Gibbs collapsed into the closest chair and scrubbed a hand across his face. He didn't know if he had the stamina to deal with anything right now. He was beyond exhausted. What he wanted was a hot shower, a glass or three of bourbon and to sleep for a week and not necessarily in that order. Unfortunately, putting off this conversation wouldn't do any of them any good. The teens were expecting some kind of reaction from him but what that was, even he didn't know. More than anything, he needed to alleviate some worries.

"I can't deal with you together," he said suddenly, sitting up and resting his elbows on his knees.

Riley turned to face Gibbs, looking resolute. "Let Mak get some rest."

"Riley, you're hurt," Makayla quickly protested. "If anyone needs rest, you do."

Gibbs lifted a hand to stop Makayla from going any further speaking. "And this is one of the reasons why I can't deal with you together."

Riley shook his head and puffed out his cheeks. "This is all on me, Gibbs."

Gibbs stood to his feet, tossing a stern look in Makayla's direction as she opened her mouth to protest. Right now it was better that she kept her mouth shut, no matter if she disagreed with Riley or not. Makayla wisely chose to let the words die on her lips.

"Oh, don't you worry; there is enough blame to go around." Gibbs mustered up enough energy to pin Riley down with a stern look. The teen heaved an irritated sigh but chose to remain quiet. "I'm grateful you're both safe. Things could have just as easily gone another way. We have a lot to be thankful for."

Makayla and Riley exchanged a look that Gibbs couldn't quite figure out. The two of them had had time for their conversation earlier but Riley's anger towards Makayla was still palpable; it was just too hard for Riley to see past his guilt right now. Both kids needed time to process what happened. Hopefully, the discussions would help them both out. Riley looked asleep on his feet. Ducky had assured Gibbs that he wasn't anymore worse for wear than before except maybe superficially. Trace had seemed to paint the boy's face a new shade of black and blue, but thankfully Riley seemed to hold his own enough to not incur any other damage.

"Rye, you look dead on your feet. Go take a shower and get some sleep."

Riley turned to look at him and then slowly nodded his head. He shot a glance in Makayla's direction and then began to move towards his bedroom.

Gibbs turned to look at Makayla. "You and I need to have a bit of a chat, don't we?"

Makayla tensed up in anticipation but managed a curt nod.

Riley spun around on his heel. "You're going to talk with her now? No. Not okay. I know you're pissed. There is no way in hell I'm going to let you take this all out on Mackie."

Gibbs frowned and levelled Riley with a look he reserved for the interrogation room. "There is no use putting this conversation off. Makayla is responsible for her choices, and I'm going to hold her accountable for them."

Riley scoffed. "What does that even mean? How are you going to hold her accountable?"

"That's not any of your concern."

"The hell it isn't. What are you going to do?"

"Riley, I don't need your permission."

Riley shook his head and stepped into Gibbs' personal bubble, the two of them eye to eye. Gibbs could see the tears of fear, guilt and frustration swimming around in Riley's eyes. It took a lot out of Riley to stand up to authority figures but to his credit, he wasn't backing down. Riley was exhausted on his feet, but he was still willing to go to bat to stand up for his convictions. Gibbs was proud of how far Riley had come since he'd moved in. Gibbs carefully reached out and placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder, doing his best to mask his own tumultuous emotions. His gut churned when he felt Riley trembling beneath his touch. The boy's emotions were very raw. While Gibbs could see Riley was doing his utmost best to appear calm, it was obvious he was scared.

"I wasn't giving any. I asked what you were planning on doing," Riley said.

"I don't know yet, but this is between Makayla and me. It's not any of your concern."

"That's bullshit. I care about Mackie. I get what she did was stupid but you don't know everything…"

"You're right; I don't and that's why the two of us are going to talk." Riley heaved a frustrated sigh. Gibbs could see how emotionally spent he was. "I want you to try and get some sleep." Gibbs wanted to give Riley all the time and space he needed to think things through. The night before and early morning had been horrific and could have had ended very differently. Riley needed time to digest that. So did Gibbs, for that matter. It would make things much easier in the long run if they both had some time to think. Riley was in for one hell of a serious lecture with some stern consequences to boot. Riley had never known what it was like to grow up in a normal home and be held accountable for his actions. It was going to be a tough conversation for both Gibbs and Riley. "Trust me to do the right thing," said Gibbs, making eye contact again. "Do you trust me?"

It was an honest question. Gibbs wanted to know if Riley did trust him or not.

Riley considered Gibbs' words with a pained expression flooding his face. "I guess so…"

"That's not an answer. You either do or you don't." Now wasn't the time for Riley to feel like he needed to come to Makayla's defence. If Riley didn't trust him, he had a bigger problem on his hands. Was it a trust issue or something else? Gibbs needed to know.

Riley took a deep breath and nodded.

"I want to hear you say it."

"Yes, I trust you."

"Are you sure? You trust me to do what's right in all this?"

Riley bit his lip and then nodded.

"Okay. If you're still awake when I'm finished here, we'll have our own things to discuss. If not, we'll talk later."

Riley nodded, took one last look in Makayla's direction, and started towards to walk slowly towards his room.

"Riley?" Gibbs said suddenly.

Riley turned to make eye contact with Gibbs once again.

"How's the pain?"

Riley shrugged.

"Out of 10 with 10 being the worst pain you ever felt?"

"About a 4, I guess."

"So manageable?"

Riley nodded.

"Good to hear."

As Riley walked to his room, Gibbs closed his eyes, feeling his body relax somewhat. Ducky had assured him that Riley wasn't any worse for wear. The boy's broken ribs, cuts and bruises would be painful but nothing had worsened through his stupidity. Riley was going to hurt for a while but the pain meds the paramedics had given him would help for the worst of it. Gibbs wasn't completely convinced he wouldn't be taking the teenager back to the hospital, but for now, he'd give the kid the benefit of the doubt, a good shower and hopefully some sound sleep. Gibbs turned his attention to Makayla. Things were about to get very tense now as he moved to close the privacy doors in his living room.


	29. Chapter 29

_**Happy Mother's day!**_

_**I was gifted some time to write today and this is what happened :)**_

_**I hope you enjoy it!**_

_**Love to all,**_

_**Jenny :)**_

Pulling her knees up to her chin, Makayla's throat burned as she watched Riley walk away. More than anything she wanted him to stay. Not because she was afraid of what Gibbs was going to say but because she couldn't help thinking she'd ruined everything with Riley. The memory of him kissing her was still very fresh in her mind and it gave her goose flesh. She blinked a few times, allowing tears to escape down her flushed cheeks giving her some release, but she was determined not to dissolve into sobs. That wouldn't help matters. Her mind was spinning in a hundred different directions, replaying her decisions and she knew she'd never be able to explain herself to Gibbs. She'd already tried with Riley and it had been a fiasco.

She swallowed the lump forming in her throat when she saw Gibbs pull the privacy doors shut on both sides of the room. He'd installed the doors to keep the sound from the family room from wafting up the stairway to the little girls' room in the evenings. With teenagers in the house, they liked the freedom to stay up later and watch movies; as well, Riley had the propensity to listen to loud music at late hours of the night. The doors gave everyone a little more freedom and peace of mind. When Gibbs turned to look at her, his cobalt blue eyes were so intense that she dropped her gaze away. She couldn't stand the way he was looking at her.

Gibbs sat down looking lost in thought but continued staring at Makayla making her feel even more unsettled. She felt her cheeks reddening and her pulse racing under his scrutiny until she couldn't take it any longer.

"Please just say something," she blurted, forcing herself to look him in the eye.

"What do you want me to say, Mak?"

She shrugged. "I dunno…just say something."

He cleared his throat slowly, his face earnest. "Trust me; you don't want me to just say _something_."

"Agent Gibbs." She blinked away more tears. "I'm sorry…I didn't…"

Gibbs shook his head, raising a hand to forestall her from speaking further. "Makayla, I already know you're sorry. The time for apologies has passed. You had your chance to come clean with me, but you chose to keep secrets from me."

Makayla put her hand over her mouth to stifle the sobs threatening to unleash. She couldn't deny what he was saying to her. She had no right to be crying and begging his forgiveness. He was right. She'd lied and kept things from him. Doing that had made everything 10 times worse. She should have listened to her sister and spilled her guts.

But she couldn't.

She could not betray Riley's trust.

On some level, she understood Riley's desperation to work things out on his own. Gibbs did not know the entire story. Neither did she but Riley did. And that mattered to Makayla. He deserved the right to make his own decisions.

"I do want to know one thing, though." Gibbs' controlled voice sounded strained beyond itself.

She shivered in anticipation acutely aware that she was standing on the precipice of Gibbs' patience. Gibbs rose to his feet and began to pace for a moment before stopping to look at her.

"What the hell came over you to go after Riley?" His booming voice sent Makayla careening off his cliff of tolerance. Gibbs raising his voice like that was not in his realm of normalcy. In all the time Makayla had known Gibbs, he had never shouted at her. "Do you know how close you came to getting your head blown off? Do you? I'm certain Tony knows! I'm not sure he's going to recover from that anytime soon." Makayla's lower lip trembled; suddenly she was very appreciative of the fact Gibbs had closed the privacy doors. She certainly didn't want the whole house to hear this conversation. "Explain to me what you were thinking."

"I-I don't know…" she whispered, struggling to maintain eye contact.

"You don't know." Gibbs echoed, pinning her with an incredulous look. "YOU don't know," he repeated louder. He took a few steps towards her and grabbed her chin roughly in his hands. Makayla's mouth went dry but she dared not swallow as Gibbs pressed his face closer to hers. "If you don't know then who the hell does because I sure don't!"

Makayla winced at his sharp tone and severe look.

Gibbs dropped his vice-like grip on her chin and walked towards the fireplace.

"I just wanted to help…" she attempted to explain, reaching up to rub where his hand had gripped her chin.

He turned and narrowed his eyes. "You wanted to help?"

She bit down her bottom lip anxiously until she could taste blood.

His repetition of her answers was making her feel even more disconcerted.

"Please explain to me how you thought you could help by bursting into a room where a man held Janessa at gunpoint?"

Makayla's eyes widened. She had no answer to that question. From her vantage point, she had only seen Gibbs. In her mind, she'd heard Riley's voice. She'd been so afraid to lose him that it never crossed her mind that she could have been risking Janessa's life.

Gibbs closed his eyes for a moment as if deliberating his next words, remaining ominously quiet. Makayla's stomach churned threatening to unload itself. She swallowed hard hoping to push the feeling away. She'd never seen Gibbs this angry with her; in fact, she'd never had ever been this angry with her, not even her mother and that was saying a lot.

"I thought…" she continued, her voice hoarse.

"No," he shouted, walking over and shoving a finger in her face. "You didn't think! That's the whole damned point. You almost got yourself killed, Mak and for what? Because you thought you could stop a fully trained Marine?" He stopped to take a breath, and Makayla was sure she saw tears welling in his eyes. It struck her at that moment that Gibbs wasn't reacting out of anger at all. Makayla searched his face and saw raw fear swimming in his eyes. Her breath caught in her throat. When he finally spoke again, his voice had softened considerably. "It took a highly skilled team of NCIS agents to take him down, Mackie. Do you get that?"

Rippling sobs washed over her until she was trembling all over. "I-I know, and I-I-I'm sorry."

Gibbs heaved a weary sigh and pulled her into his arms. Makayla trembled all over as Gibbs held her in a tight embrace. Guilt washed over her as she realized what a mess she'd created for everyone. Gibbs rested his chin on her head, and gently carded his fingers through her hair. After several long minutes, he pulled away and tipped her chin up so her eyes met his. "You okay?"

She nodded, "W-what happens now?" Her lower lip trembled in anticipation of his answer.

His steely blue-grey eyes penetrated hers sending a chill up her spine. She wasn't afraid of him, but she'd have been lying to herself if she didn't admit she was worried. She'd already been on the receiving end of Gibbs' displeasure for reasons not nearly as terrible as now. She wasn't relishing another demonstration. Somehow she just knew this time around was going to much worse.

Gibbs sat down, pulling her onto his lap. She leaned into him, feeling safe in his arms. As much as she wanted to run away for fear of what he might do, she couldn't; she couldn't even be mad at him. They shared a bond. She'd been drawn to him since the first day they'd met.

"I thought I was going to lose you, Mackie."

Makayla's throat burned as she blinked back a fresh onslaught of tears.

"I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." He leaned back and cradled her in his arms. "I know you're not my daughter, sweetheart but I can't even begin to describe the way I feel about you. We're kindred spirits, you and me." He choked back a chuckle. "Hell, I think you might have even been me in a previous lifetime."

Makayla choked out a laugh. She knew exactly what he meant. She'd never met anyone who was on the same wavelength as her. They didn't just think alike. It went much deeper than that. She couldn't always pin down how he'd react to things, but she always knew what would make him react. Gibbs was a conundrum to everyone most of the time but never completely to Makayla. His mystery wasn't entirely elusive to her.

"I can read your thoughts," she whispered.

She couldn't explain it, but she was never completely surprised by what Gibbs said.

He chuckled softly. "I'm sure you can."

"I'm serious, Gibbs." Her mouth felt as dry as cotton. "And I want you to know that it's okay."

He quirked an eyebrow. "What's okay?"

"What you're thinking."

Gibbs considered her closely. "I'm too tired to think."

"I'm not going to hate you or anything..."

Gibbs chuckled. "Oh, trust me, there's gonna be plenty of times where you're gonna hate me, kiddo, but I think it's safe to say it won't last forever." He pulled her back towards him and pressed a kiss on her cheek, ignoring her baffled expression. "So, are you going to level with me about today or not?" He stared into her green eyes.

She nodded uncertainly. "Are you done yelling?"

"Probably not, but I'll try my best to behave myself."

Makayla searched his eyes for a moment and moved to stand up. If she was going to attempt to explain herself, it was probably better if she kept her distance. She sucked on her bottom lip and stared at the flames lapping at the wood in the fireplace. It crackled and hissed. As she got closer, she could feel the heat warming her, almost giving her a much-needed dose of courage. She took a deep breath, whirled around and blurted, "I'm mad at you, Agent Gibbs." Her eyes snapped with anger.

Gibbs' face was deadpan.

"You should have told me they were at Mr. Ellis' house instead of just leaving me hanging."

Gibbs leaned back further on the sofa, crossing one leg over the other but remained silent. Makayla wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing that he was so quiet but she forced herself to continue.

"When I saw you walking up to his door, it made me angry that you could just blow me off like that. Then when I called your name and saw your face, I realized exactly what was going on…"Makayla felt fresh tears fill her eyes and she quickly reached up to brush them away. "I couldn't stop myself, Gibbs. I thought I heard Riley's voice…" Makayla choked back a sob. "All I could think about was Riley getting shot or killed." She blinked a few times as her pulse picked up. She didn't want to break Riley's trust but a part of her just felt like she needed to unload. "Gibbs, Riley was afraid of Trace. Like not just a little bit scared of him but terrified. Trace musta hurt him something awful in the Corps because Riley believed Trace was dangerous and more powerful than you. When Trace beat him up, Riley said he blacked out and couldn't remember what he said. He was so afraid that he gave you away to Trace and that the girls would be in danger because of him. He made me promise not to tell you…"

"Mak, you can't keep secrets like that from me," Gibbs said. Alarm tinged his words. "You should have come to me right away."

Makayla covered her mouth as more tears tumbled down her flushed cheeks. "I never intended to keep secrets, Gibbs. Please say you believe me. Please."

Gibbs stood up and drew her into a hug again. "I believe you, Mackie."

She relaxed against him as he put a warm hand on the back of her head, stroking her hair gently.

"I realize you were trying to protect Riley…"

Makayla pulled away. "Not protect, Gibbs. I don't need to protect him from you. That's not it at all." Makayla meant that; Gibbs had proven himself over and over. Gibbs was true blue. "Riley needed to handle Trace on his own."

Gibbs frowned. "He's a kid, Mak."

"Maybe to you he is, but Riley's been taking care of himself for a long time without us, Agent Gibbs. He needed to show himself that he's competent, that he can take care of himself. Can't you see where he's coming from? I know he feels really badly about Janessa being dragged it to it, but that's not his fault! Trace did that…"

Gibbs held up a hand. "Okay, stop right there. You don't need to defend Riley's actions to me. If fact, right now, I just want to discuss your actions. Not Riley's." Gibbs' features hardened once again. "Things starting going south between us at the hospital, Mak. You weren't straight with me about what happened when Riley picked you at school, and you weren't straight with me at the hospital either. Everything went continually downhill from there. Am I wrong?"

Makayla took a deep breath and shook her head. Gibbs wasn't wrong.

"Don't just shake your head. Help me out here a little."

She turned her back to him, sticking her hands in her back pockets and staring into the fire once again. Surges of guilt kept washing over her. She was beginning to feel like she couldn't breathe and was drowning in despair. She'd already said too much. Riley would probably never trust her again. Gibbs came up behind her and wrapped one arm around her, pulling her close.

"Kid, I can see you battling something. I don't know what it is but I'm here when you're ready to talk about it. I'm glad you told me that you're mad at me. I'd like to say that I'm sorry for brushing you off earlier, but I'm not. I feel like you've been lying to me and frankly, that made me not trust you. Mak, you need to understand that sometimes I'm not going to tell you everything. I'm the adult here and sometimes you don't need to know everything."

Fresh tears filled her eyes and she blinked hard to keep them from falling.

Hearing Gibbs saying he didn't trust her hurt.

A lot.

She gasped for breath, forcing herself to swallow back the overwhelming emotion.

Gibbs gently turned her to face him. "Would things have been different if I told you where Riley was?" Makayla chewed her lower lip as he tipped her chin up so his stern blue eyes met her watery green ones. "Be honest."

Makayla shrugged. "I don't know," she whispered.

Gibbs held her eyes for a few moments longer as if pondering her answer but then released her chin and took a step back with a sigh. "I'm worn out. What about you? I don't think either one of us is in a good frame of mind to make good decisions right now. I need some time to think. How about you get some rest and maybe spend some time with Abbs?" He motioned towards the stairs in the foyer. "We'll talk more later."

Makayla considered him a long moment before speaking again. "How much trouble am I in, Agent Gibbs?" Makayla couldn't bear waiting and would rather take the bull by the horns now. She knew Gibbs wasn't done with her. Not by a long shot.

Gibbs heaved a long sigh. "You just had to ask me that, didn't you?"

Makayla picked at her thumb nervously and shrugged.

"You better not _ever_ lie to me again, Makayla," Gibbs said. His face was grave. "Lying tells me you don't trust me or care about my feelings. And, just as a clarification, lies of omission are still lies."

Makayla shivered to hear him use her full name. There was foreboding about the sound of her full name on his lips. He never used her full name. He was the master of nicknames, Mak, Mackie but hardly ever Makayla.

"I won't," she whispered and meant it.

None of the lies and covering things up was worth this. Not even for Riley.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs watched Makayla disappear up the stairs as he moved to open the privacy doors once again. He puffed out his cheeks again feeling pretty damn proud of himself for keeping his cool. A part of him hadn't been sure he was going to stay nice once he'd started yelling. It had been all he could do not to pull her across his knee and spank the living daylights out of her so she'd understand just how scared he'd been. However, he knew he couldn't do that when he was still so shaken up and angry. It had taken more self-control then he thought possible, but deep down he knew there was more to the story than he knew.

He could tell that Makayla had scarcely scratched the service. What she'd shared about Riley's terror of Trace was news to him, however. Riley had done one hell of a job of pulling the wool over his eyes, and Gibbs was determined to get the full story come hell or high water. He would need to speak with Riley and then Makayla again, and even after that, he'd need time to mull things over in his head. Dishing out consequences, if any were even warranted considering the circumstances, was the last thing he wanted to do. Teenagers were complicated creatures. In some ways, dealing with behaviours from Aimee and Janessa seemed a little clearer cut and THAT was saying a lot.

Gibbs walked over to his bay window and stared across the street. The neighbourhood seemed to have come to life. People were awakening, opening curtains and drawing back blinds to let in the morning sunshine. Most of his neighbours would be oblivious to the fact that a man lost his life that morning; the only thing to show anything was different was the yellow caution tape blowing in the breeze. Ellis' house would be the gossip of the street for several weeks.

Poor Ellis.

Gibbs appreciated the fact that Ellis liked his privacy, especially considering the ink was still wet on his divorce papers. Neighbours had a way of being a little too nosey for his liking as well, especially the busybodies on the street. Thankfully, there weren't too many of them on his street.

As Gibbs turned to walk towards the kitchen, his eyes caught sight of some familiar brown dress shoes resting on his front porch steps. Tony had made his way to Gibbs' doorstep.

Gibbs wasn't surprised.

It wasn't unusual for the younger man to seek him out when his heart was heavy. It was part of the reason why Gibbs left his door unlocked. When the little girls moved in and Gibbs had felt the need to lock his door, he'd made sure each member of his team had a key to his house. He always wanted them to feel like they had a place to call home. He wanted his team to feel free to seek him out any time of day. Gibbs didn't sleep much anyway, and in the old days, he could usually be found working on his boat in the basement. Gibbs made a point to be available.

Gibbs pulled open his front door to see Tony sitting with his head in his heads.

"You should have come inside, DiNozzo." Gibbs scolded, shivering in the cold of the morning. It was feeling more like winter. The wind seemed to blow right through him. "Lose your key?"

Tony didn't look up at him. "Needed some time, Boss."

Gibbs grabbed his jacket, shut the door and took his place beside Tony. The two of them sat companionably for several minutes. Gibbs studied the shabbiness of his front deck, noting he still needed to do some maintenance and perhaps stain it before the snow flew. He'd somehow lost track of time. Autumn maintenance always snuck up on him every year and with the girls' adoption and gaining a couple of teenagers along the way, he'd missed the upkeep boat altogether this year.

"Mackie okay?" Tony finally asked.

"Yep."

"I shouldn't have yelled at her."

"I can't say I blame you." Gibbs' conscience pricked at him knowing he'd done his own share of yelling.

Tony looked up, staring towards Ellis' house. "I could have killed her, Gibbs."

"Yep, you could have," Gibbs agreed. "But you didn't."

One thing Gibbs had learned through the years was it was better to be a listener rather than trying to be a fixer. His big 'kids' needed to figure things out on their own. Gibbs was never one to talk too much anyway. Sometimes, it just took a few nods and prods and the speaker would come to their own conclusions. It seemed to work with Abby anyway. If not, he was always willing to help direct them a little bit.

"My first instinct was to stop any interference."

"Sounds like protocol to me."

"You don't get it. My trigger was pulled halfway." Gibbs' heart quickened. He didn't want to hear how close 'close' was. It made it feel too real. It made his instinct to shake Makayla harder to contain; he'd scarcely controlled himself earlier. "If she hadn't called out your name…" Tony's voice trailed off.

"You were following procedure."

Tony stood up and rounded on Gibbs. His eyes snapped with anger. "Procedure? Are you kidding me? What the hell good is procedure if I'd have killed Mackie? I couldn't have lived with that on my conscience, Gibbs!" Gibbs understood what Tony was saying. There wasn't a day that went by that he didn't blame himself for Kate's death, and he hadn't even been the one that pulled the trigger. Gibbs knew what it was like to live with regret. Tony squared his shoulders. "I want your permission to talk to her."

"You don't need my permission." Gibbs nodded his head in the direction of the door. "You're free to talk with her anytime you like."

"I want your permission to throttle her." Tony clarified.

Gibbs cleared his throat. "I haven't even given myself permission to do that." He knew Tony's emotions were raw. Tony was a joker, the fun uncle-type guy, the goofy big brother type but never the disciplinarian. Tony was not himself. He hated calling his co-workers out on things and often was the one who covered up for their discrepancies. Gibbs remembered Tim losing his credentials and how Tony did his best to cover for him. Gibbs also knew Tony kept Abby's secrets, probably saved her bacon more times than he even cared to know. Tony's fiercely protective nature was just part of who he was. Gibbs admired that.

"Why the hell not?"

"Because we don't know the whole story yet."

"Makayla walked into the middle of a freakin hostage situation. What else do you need to know?"

Gibbs stood to his feet. "You don't need to remind me, DiNozzo; I was there. Remember?"

He placed a warm hand on Tony's shoulder, hoping it would help soothe Tony's nerves a little. Gibbs could feel him trembling under his hand. Damn, if the whole situation hadn't thrown his protégé for a loop. Kids had a way of doing that to you. Gibbs could commiserate.

"I haven't spoken with Riley yet, and Makayla is tight-lipped out of some kind of misplaced obligation or teenage puppy love even. I dunno which. All that to say, there is still a lot more to learn about what went down today and yesterday and all the other days leading up to this." Gibbs heaved a sigh. "If you want to talk with Makayla then you should do that, but if it's anything more than that, I'm asking you to wait until we have the whole story."

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, his face reeling in a pain Gibbs hadn't ever seen in the younger man before. Gibbs squeezed Tony's shoulder again and stepped back. He considered the man standing in front of him for a moment and his heart plummeted when he realized how hard Tony was taking things. Looking into Tony's miserable eyes, Gibbs recognized how close it had been. Gibbs shivered and without thinking further, he pulled Tony into an embrace. "Things will be okay, Tony. I promise."

He felt Tony nod and eventually lean against him.


	30. Chapter 30

_**Hello readers,**_

_**How are you all doing? Warmer weather had finally graced us so the lockdown seems a little more bearable. The kids play outside more and I'm planting my gardens..cutting some grass...I kinda forget about this pandemic until I go shopping. I had to laugh at myself when I went into Walmart...had to completely remind myself to follow the one-way arrows. OOPS. We live in the boonies...we hardly see people normally. I do miss church though...and getting together with friends for tea. And our OVERSEAS vacay was cancelled! BOO! **_

_**Hopefully, you are all healthy and making do in this crazy world.**_

_**Thanks to all of you who read and reviewed...Guest 1, 2 and 3, Bohogal1998, 520KB, DS2010, 90TheGeneral09, AureaD, Fan and Ancilla89...your reviews keep me writing :D Thank you so much!**_

_**This chapter was hard to write...my muse was spinning and Gibbs was waffling. Like most parents, he is second-guessing himself but I'm glad he got some sleep. Now he is a bit more clear-headed to take on the rest of his day.**_

_**Makayla and Riley are not making this easy on him.**_

Gibbs was half asleep on his feet by the time he dragged himself up the stairs to his bedroom. Once there, he collapsed on his bed fully clothed and stared at the ceiling. What the hell day was it? He scrunched up his face trying to recall. Was it Saturday? Sunday? He furrowed his brow realizing he had no clue. Probably made him a pretty crappy parent/guardian. Makayla still had a few weeks left of school. He needed to get life back to some semblance of normal, so she could finish on a strong note. She'd had enough trouble at school as it was without any more drama. Not to mention Christmas was around the corner and you'd never know it by looking at his home. Hell, he hadn't even had time to do any shopping.

Gibbs sat up and raked a hand through his salt and pepper hair. He had no idea what he was going to do about Makayla, and at some point, he'd needed to check up on her sister as well. Gibbs cursed under his breath. He hadn't even contacted the girl to let her know Makayla was safe. He made a mental note to do that once he'd showered and felt more human. Christmas was weeks away and it didn't look like Jenny was going to make it home which left Melissa on her own. Gibbs' stomach churned. He couldn't let the teenage girl spend Christmas alone. Jenny wasn't a sentimental person so Christmas probably hadn't crossed her mind.

Gibbs groaned at the thought of taking in another kid, but his conscience niggled at him just the same. Melissa was what 16 or 17? He wasn't even sure, but he did know she shouldn't be by herself over the holidays. Of course, if Melissa was anything like her sister, Gibbs wasn't sure he had the strength to handle it. Plus, from what he'd seen in his wanderings around Xavier Prep, Melissa came with an entourage of peers. One, in particular, piqued his interest, a boy that looked strikingly familiar and looked far too friendly with the girl. The last thing he needed was another teenage romance. Riley and Makayla's were enough.

Gibbs puffed out his cheeks and forced himself to his feet, not wanting to think about Makayla or Melissa anymore. He needed a shower and to get some sleep. He pulled his sweatshirt over his head and pitched it towards his laundry hamper, not bothering to stop to see if it made it into the basket or not. As Gibbs walked towards his ensuite, he was startled when his door flew open and Aimee flung herself into his arms nearly knocking him off his feet. "Abby was right," she squealed.

Gibbs chuckled. "That's quite a greeting. What's Abby right about?"

"That you're a superhero."

"What makes you say that?"

"You rescued Nessie and Riley." She wrapped her arms around his neck and smothered him with kisses.

Gibbs hugged her closely feeling her heart galloping in her chest. Aimee and he had had some rocky roads in the past, and he suspected they would have plenty more in the future, but if she thought he was a superhero right now, he'd gladly take it to the bank. Abby's hero-worshipping was rubbing off on the girl.

"Where is Ness?"

"She's still asleep."

Gibbs was glad to hear it. Janessa had been through a lot in the last 24 hours. Sleep was healing and the more she slept, the better he felt. The five-year-old seemed to bounce back quickly but he still worried about her. Just how much could fairy tales and a vibrant imagination protect her?

Gibbs noticed the black circles under Aimee's dark blue eyes as he set her feet to the floor. She immediately wrapped her arms around him not seeming to want to let him go. He tipped her head up and pressed a kiss to her forehead. She looked as exhausted as he felt. He needed to catch a few hours of sleep if he expected to be any good to anyone. Gibbs led her over to his bed and pulled back the covers. "Come snuggle with me."

Aimee obliged when he crawled in, snuggling up to him.

"Is Riley okay?" she asked.

Gibbs felt his body begin to relax. "He's hurting, but he'll be okay."

"What about Lane? Is he in a lot of trouble for helping Riley?"

Gibbs thought about her question for a minute. From everything McGee had told him about Lane Brody, the young Marine was a good kid. As far as Gibbs could tell, being Riley's accomplice was about the worse thing he'd ever done. Seemed to Gibbs, Lane was a faithful friend, and Riley needed more of that in his life. Scuttlebutt said Lane was even gutsy enough to testify against Riley's abusive D.I. at Parris Island. Gibbs had only spent a short time with the young man, but something about him made Gibbs want to get to know him better. A friend like Lane could be a good influence on Riley. Plus, Gibbs would rather put a scare into the Lane himself, rather than allow the kid's clean record to be tarnished.

"You like Lane, dontcha?"

She nodded. "He talked a lot but when he stopped," her chin wobbled, "I thought he was dead." Gibbs rubbed her back soothingly.

"That was scary, I'll bet."

She nodded. "I was scared in the dark but Lane told me stories."

"About what?"

"Well, one about a guy named Daniel. He was a good and brave man but other people didn't like him. These bad guys tricked the King into making terrible laws that got Daniel into trouble." Gibbs smirked thinking he'd read a similar story in the bible. "Daniel disobeyed the law because it was a bad law meant to trick people. The king wasn't a bad man at all. His name was Darren, I think, can't remember; anyway, King Darren had to uphold the laws he made so he had Daniel tossed into a big pit with hungry lions."

"Not a good turn of events for Daniel," commented Gibbs, listening to her version.

"Not at all, but it turned out okay because God made sure none of the lions felt hungry when Daniel was tossed in; they didn't even care. The next day when the King checked, he was happy to see that Daniel didn't get eaten and so he freed Daniel. Because King Darren saw how good Daniel was, he changed the laws and punished the bad guys for tricking him."

"That's a good story."

"It helped me not be so scared."

Gibbs stroked her cheek. "How so?"

"Cuz if God can save Daniel from starving lions then he can do anything."

"I suppose he can." Gibbs felt himself beginning to drift.

"Lane prayed to God asking Him to keep us safe. He goes to church and said I could visit his church some time if it's okay with you. Is it?"

Religion wasn't something Gibbs gave much thought to. He believed there was a God or at the very least some kind of higher being, but it just never suited him to pursue it any further. That was usually Abby's department.

"I don't see why not."

Aimee was quiet for a few minutes and Gibbs felt himself drifting further.

"Daddy?"

Gibbs startled. "Hmm…"

"I need to tell you something."

Gibbs forced his eyes open. Drifting in and out was making him feel a little muddled. He looked at her and was concerned to see tears pooling in her eyes.

"Okay, I'm all ears." The phrase usually brought a grin and some silly comments, but Aimee didn't crack a smile.

"Abby told me to go to my room."

Gibbs furrowed a brow. "When? Right now?" He was confused.

"No, when Lane was talking to Abby. We heard a noise in the living room, and she told me to go upstairs but I ran after her. I overheard Abby telling you it was her fault Lane got hurt but it was mine. Lane was trying to help Riley but when he saw me, it made him stop to look at me. That's all it took for the bad guy to hit him…"

Gibbs reached out and thumbed away a stray tear from Aimee's cheek. "Oh, Aims, none of that matters. Let's just forgive and forget, okay?"

"You're not mad?"

"Not even a little."

She smiled at him and his heavy eyes drooped again. He was too tired to care about much of anything. His body just needed sleep.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Makayla sat cross-legged in the hallway outside the room she and Abby shared. Abby had been staying over more often lately helping Gibbs with Aimee and Janessa, and Makayla enjoyed the Goth's company, most of the time. Abby was more teenager than an adult around Makayla which made the Goth like a super cool older sister. Makayla had grown used to the unusual décor but thankfully, Abby had toned it down a lot since Makayla had moved in. The grotesque microscopic crime scene photos creeped Makayla out, but she had yet to put anything up or around to make the room her own. She felt unsettled and a little part of her felt like Gibbs might toss her to the curb after everything that had happened.

The bookshelf behind her was digging into her back but she forced herself to ignore it. She needed time alone more than anything and if that meant sitting in the hallway, so be it. Sunlight spilled across the floor shining in from the window above her head. The hallway was bright and cheery with a stylish skylight above and large windows at both ends of the hall. For an old guy, Gibbs kept a well-designed and maintained home. His taste in furniture, on the other hand left a lot to be desired.

Makayla shifted, focussing her attention on the sketchbook in her lap. She stared at her latest drawing and Riley's ruggedly handsome face stared back at her. She fingered the pencil in her hand admiring her work and then added a glint to his dark eyes. Her stomach tightened as her mind replayed the look on Riley's face when he'd pulled her up from the floor after Trace had been shot. He'd hugged her so fiercely that he'd sucked the wind from her. His harsh whispered words still echoed in her head.

_How could you be so stupid? _

Even now, she didn't have an answer to his question.

Gibbs certainly wanted an answer as well. The man had given her space to think but Makayla wasn't so naive to believe he was content to let sleeping dogs lie. He'd granted her a reprieve, and she was grateful for that but the weary look on the older man's face spoke a story of their own. Gibbs was exhausted and was probably using his time to garner up the strength to kill her. She couldn't blame him. The problem was how could she explain what she did when she didn't even understand. She couldn't explain the connection she had with Gibbs either. It broke her heart knowing how angry he was with her. She loved Gibbs like she loved her dad. She never intended to withhold the truth. Her heart had been in the right place.

When Riley was hurt, she realized she'd do anything to help him. When he'd kissed her—fresh tears sprang to eyes when her mind travelled back to that point in time. She touched her lips. When he kissed her, she stopped being able to make rational decisions. She just wanted to do anything to help him. Suddenly, Makayla found herself yearning to talk to her sister. Melissa wasn't her best friend by any stretch of the imagination; in fact, a big part of Makayla believed her older sister hated her. They had nothing in common. Missy always did what was expected and Makayla never did anything right. Her stomach ached from the confusion of the last couple of days. She needed someone to lean on and confide in…someone to help naginate all the conflicting emotions.

Just then the door opened and Abby came out nearly tripping over Makayla.

"Mak? What are you doing sitting out here?"

"Just needed some time to myself."

Abby sunk to her knees beside Makayla, "Are you okay?"  
Makayla shook her head. Abby tended to take Gibbs' side in everything and the last thing Makayla needed was to feel anymore conviction. "I'm okay."

Abby offered a sympathetic smile. "Maybe this will cheer you up." Abby held out her cell phone.

Makayla's mouth dropped open. "How?"

"Timmy gave it to me."

"But how'd he get it?"

"Gibbs gave it to Timmy to see if he could salvage it for you. Don't tell Gibbs." Abby winked at her.

Makayla grinned and powered up the phone. It jumped to life displaying her screen picture of Riley. She'd snapped the photo at the ice cream Shoppe when Riley was goofing around. He had ice cream on his nose. The picture still made her laugh.

Abby leaned into her, "Nice shot," she noted with a playful smirk playing on her lips. "He's a cutie."

Makayla felt heat rise in her cheeks and quickly swiped the picture away. "How'd Agent McGee fix it? It was shattered and not even touch responsive."

"Timmy can fix anything."

Makayla felt a spark of joy rise up in her as she scrolled through her pictures and text messages. Everything seemed intact just like before Riley had stomped on it.

"Thanks, Abby. This means a lot."

Abby hugged her. "You're welcome, sweetie." The Goth stood to her full height, "You hungry? I feel like some French toast and bacon."

Makayla shook her head. Abby tossed another smile her way before disappearing down the stairs. Makayla stared after her for several minutes before wandering into her room and flopping onto her bed. Tossing her sketchbook aside, she looked at her phone again swiping through some old texts from Riley. Getting her phone back was one of the best things that could have happened. She missed texting her friends and especially Riley. Since he wasn't allowed upstairs, the two of them texted late into the night after everyone else was in bed. She looked at the last text from Riley and it brought tears to her eyes. He'd joked with her about being able to beat her in an arm wrestle and she'd dared him to try. She smiled at the memory. Riley had been trying to take her mind off her parents taking off for parts unknown and abandoning her.

"Mak?"

Makayla gasped and sat up.

Riley stepped into the doorway looking as handsome as ever, despite the bruises and cuts on his face. His dark brown eyes looked earnest. "Can we talk?"

"Sure, come in." Her heart rate picked up a little thinking that Gibbs wouldn't be happy if he saw Riley in her bedroom but at this point, she didn't care. She might as well break all the rules while she was at it.

Riley stepped into the room and leaned against the door jam. "Gibbs is probably going to skin me alive for being up here."

Makayla shrugged. "He'll get over it. Are you in pain?"

"Nothing I can't handle, although I'm surprised Gibbs hasn't dragged me back to the hospital yet."

"I think he crashed. Aimee came out from his room a while ago saying he was asleep. Why aren't you sleeping?"

Riley stepped further into the room and sat on the edge of the bed looking around the room and then back at Makayla.

"Can't, my mind is still racing. Aimee okay?"

"I think so. She said she was going out to the treehouse for a while."

"Probably to climb past Gibbs' painted lines and piss him off."

Makayla rolled her eyes with a smirk. She wouldn't put anything past Aimee.

Riley pointed at the gruesome painting on the wall. "How do you not have nightmares?"

Makayla laughed. "Trust me, Abby took the worst ones down." She held up her phone for Riley to see. "Look, Agent McGee fixed my phone."

"About that…sorry for crushing it…"

Makayla waved his words away. "No worries. You weren't exactly in your right mind. It's all good."

"I'm still sorry."

"I know."

Riley fidgeted as he continued to glance around the room. Makayla took in his appearance, noting his unkempt hair, the dark circles under his eyes and the raw, angry cuts on his cheek. Riley was a mystery to her. She didn't understand what made him tick but she wanted to. She was probably going to get her heart broken. She sucked in a breath wondering how upset Riley was with her.

"Are you mad?"

Riley frowned, wringing his hands together. "What were you thinking, Mak? Barging in like that…you had no idea what you were walking into."

"I just needed to know you were alright…"

"You couldn't have waited until Gibbs said it was safe?"

"No! I was scared to death Trace was going to kill you." Makayla covered her mouth to try to calm herself down. She didn't want to lose it in front of Riley. "You ask too much of me, Riley. You can't do that…" her words trailed off lost in a sob.

Riley crawled across the bed, wincing as he did so and awkwardly wrapped his arms around her. "God, Mak, I'm so sorry. Don't cry."

Makayla cried into his chest.

"You've got to understand something, Mak. I'm a trained Marine. I can take care of myself…"

She pulled away shaking her head, "You're not immortal." She placed a gentle hand on his cheek. "When I saw you all beat up on the truck, I was so scared and then you passed out…" She choked on another sob. "Saying you were going to get Gibbs' sidearm and making me promise not to tell…"

"I never wanted you to get involved…"

"I'd do it all over again if you asked me."

Riley scrubbed a hand across his face. "You're not making this any easier."

"Making what easier?"

Her phone vibrated next to her leg. She looked down to see a text from her sister asking if she was alright. It struck Makayla as surreal. Melissa never texted unless she was lecturing Makayla about something stupid she'd done.

"Mackie, I need to say good-bye…"

Makayla's head flew up. "Goodbye? What do you mean?"

"I'm going home to stay with my mom."

"But I thought you said you didn't want to stay with her."

"I don't."

"Then I don't understand."

Riley pulled away and stood up. "It's better this way. I'm a screwup, Mak. I can't even look Gibbs in the eye. I almost got Janessa killed! Trust me; he'll be relieved I'm gone."

"Riley, that's not true."

"Yes, it is. Look, I didn't come up here to fight with you. I wanted to say goodbye to your face. I owe you that much." Riley pulled her to her feet until they were face to face holding hands. "I like you, Mak. Probably too much. If things were different…" His voice trailed off as he brushed his hand across her cheek. His touch sent chills up her spine and set off butterflies in her stomach.

Makayla's lip trembled. "You can't just leave."

"It's better this way."

"No, it isn't, Riley. If I've learned anything, I know you can't run away from yourself."

"She's right, Riley."

Both teenagers spun sideways to see Gibbs standing in the doorway.

"Gibbs!" both teens sputtered, taking several steps from each other with a sheepish expression flooding their faces.

He smirked at them waving away their sudden anxiety. "Relax." He motioned for them to sit down. "Take a seat. We need to talk."

Makayla sat and reached for Riley's hand pulling him down beside her. Gibbs stepped further into the room shutting the door behind him. Makayla swallowed the lump forming in her throat. The last time Gibbs had shut doors hadn't been so pleasant for her. She wasn't looking forward to another yelling match. Gibbs grabbed a chair from the nearby desk and straddled it.

"Do you want to stay with your mom, Rye?" he asked point-blank looking intently at Riley.

Riley considered the question a moment and nodded.

"If that's what you want, I can arrange it. You're not a prisoner here but in the eyes of the law, I'm considered your legal guardian. Your mom gave me that authority so you're not running off without me first making the necessary arrangements, got it?"

Makayla felt Riley tense up beside her. Without thinking, she reached out and cupped her hand around his hoping to comfort him. She was glad when he didn't pull away. Riley's clammy hand was squeezed hers in return.

"But you're wrong about me," continued Gibbs. " I don't blame you for what happened, and I sure as hell don't think you're responsible for Janessa being involved. That's on Trace. If anything, I'm damned proud of how you stood up against the guy to keep Janessa safe. That took a lot of courage."

Riley jaw clenched but he remained silent.

"Going home to your mom isn't going to change anything between us. I'm still going to hold you accountable, and you're still gonna report to me if you screw up. I made you a promise, and I plan to keep it. I can just as easily kick your ass there as I can here. The distance isn't going to stop me from making sure you grow up right."

Riley stood to his feet with his chest heaving. "Is that all you care about? Kicking my ass?"

A sick feeling struck Makayla when Riley jumped to his feet. She studied his pained expression wanting nothing more than to ease the tension but not knowing how. She pleaded with Gibbs with her eyes. The man had to know Riley was struggling. Why provoke him? Makayla wasn't sure how Gibbs could remain so stern when Riley was quickly losing it.

"No…" Gibbs groaned. "Look, Riley, you matter to me..."

"Bullshit." Riley jaw clenched tighter. He looked desolate. "Admit it; you hate my guts. Janessa could have died because of me! You'll be better off when I'm gone."

"Riley! That's not true," said Makayla, grabbing his arm desperate to prove to him how important he was to her.

"Mak," The sharp tone in Gibbs' voice made her close her mouth. It was obvious that Gibbs didn't want her to interfere. She felt her phone vibrate again. She looked down discreetly to see her sister was calling her this time. Makayla swiped the call away, shaking her head in frustration. The last thing she wanted to deal with today was her sister's condescending lectures. There was no end to the absurdities today.

Gibbs stood to his feet. "I don't hate your guts, Riley. I'm not exactly thrilled you lied to me but none of what happened is your fault. As for us being better off without you, that's not true either."

"I left the hospital when you told me not too. I stole your gun-"

Her phone vibrated again, _'Kayley, please just tell me you're okay.' _Tears burned in her eyes as Makayla read the text, trying to keep the phone hidden from Gibbs' view.

"-And we're gonna deal with all that eventually but right now, none of that is important," continued Gibbs, his voice gentle.

Makayla's mouth felt dry as cotton as she watched Riley digest Gibbs' words. His shoulders slumped and the fight seemed to flee from him. He raked a shaky hand through his hair.

"I don't know what you want from me." Riley grimaced as he rolled his shoulders to ease the tension a little.

Gibbs sighed. "How bad's the pain?"

"Nothing I can't handle."

"I didn't ask you if you could handle it, I asked how bad it is."

Makayla's phone vibrated again.

'_I'm staying with Josh and his family at a hotel not too far from Xavier. His twin brother had emergency surgery on his ankle. Josh is freaked out. I've never seen him like this and I'm worried.'_

Makayla frowned. Melissa never shared her personal life with her. Why was she doing it now?

"I'll live," Riley replied.

Gibbs took a step towards Riley and dropped a hand on his shoulder. "Tell me what happened with Trace from the beginning, Ry. What was he holding over your head?"

Riley shook off his hand and took a step back. "Nothing! It's none of your business. Just make the arrangements with my mom, alright? Then you won't have to worry about me."

"Whether you're here or there, I'm still going to worry about you. In fact, I'm probably going to worry more if you're there. You've got some things going on in that head of yours and you need to deal with it. C'mon, Riley. Give me something. I care..."

"I never asked you to care," he bit out.

Gibbs stood quietly a moment staring at him. Turning to Makayla, he said, "Would you excuse us, Mak? I'd like to talk with Riley alone."

"No, I'm finished talking," Riley stormed from the room slamming the door.

Makayla cringed as she felt her phone vibrate again.

'_Please just tell me you're okay, Kayley and I'll leave you alone.'_

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs turned towards the window and drew in a long breath. That had not gone well at all. For some reason Riley was volatile and it was all aimed towards him. Gibbs was just so frustrated and at a loss to know how to help. He did know that Riley wasn't going home to his mother. That was not the right choice right now. The kid was a mess. Riley's mother wouldn't stand a chance with him. The boy needed a man's guidance more than ever right now.

"Are you gonna send him back to his mom?"

Gibbs turned to see Makayla's red-rimmed eyes staring at him. "No, but he needs to feel in control right now, so I'll let him believe that."

"Isn't that the same as lying?"

Gibbs lifted a brow. "Kettle calling the pot black?"

Her face reddened and she dropped her gaze to the floor, fiddling with whatever she was hiding behind her back. Gibbs squared his shoulders deciding to let the matter with Riley simmer. He needed more time to ruminate on what to do but he'd made up his mind about Makayla and now was the time to deal with that.

"I've had some time to think. What about you?"

Makayla shrugged her shoulders.

Gibbs crossed the room and sat down on Makayla's twin bed, rubbing his hands on his upper thighs. The floral comforter was tucked in tidily with several throw pillows arranged neatly against the headboard. She was an orderly little thing and Gibbs admired that characteristic. Makayla's eyes followed him but she remained at a safe distance leaning against the wall. His eyes met hers and she dropped her chin to the wood floor.

"I'm sorry—"

"Nope, I don't want to hear any more apologies."

Makayla looked up and studied his stern expression.

"Mak, you lied to me. There are a lot of things I can let slide but not the lying. I need to be able to trust your word. You lied right to my face about your phone. You have no idea how much willpower it took not to spank you right there."

"You did!" she snapped, unable to control herself. Tears blurred her vision and forgetting herself, she reached up to wipe off her face dropping her cell phone onto the floor. Makayla scrambled to retrieve the phone but it was too late.

"Where did you get that?"

"Abby gave it to me."

Gibbs held out his hand and Makayla sheepishly walked towards him dropping the phone into his palm before taking a step back.

"A couple of swats hardly constitute a spanking," he stated with a hard edge to his voice.

If she only knew how much restraint he'd used. He'd been so frustrated but thankfully he hadn't lost full leave of his senses, for her sake as well as his own. He lived with too much regret as it was, he didn't need to add more. Time and experience had taught him to carefully gauge his emotions and action. God knew how much he screwed up anyway.

The phone vibrated and Gibbs looked down at it for a moment scanning the text that popped up. He looked up to see the worried expression flooding Makayla's face. It tugged at his heart. He always hated heavy-handed parenting. He felt like a bully when he saw tears sparkling on the girl's lashes. His countenance softened as he held the phone out towards her once again. "You should probably tell Melissa you're okay."

Makayla took the phone again glancing briefly at the screen, "She doesn't care about me—"

"Makayla, your sister was sobbing when she told me about you chasing after Riley. I could hardly understand her words, for Pete's sake. She was terrified you'd get hurt or killed." Gibbs' voice was sharp. "The least you can do is answer her text."

Makayla's eyes widened at his tone.

"Shoot her off a text. I'll wait."

Makayla obeyed taking several minutes to do so before hitting send. Her hands trembled when she passed the phone back to him. Gibbs reached over and set the phone on the side table.

"You can have it back when we're finished."

He stood to his feet and walked towards Abby's twin bed on the opposite side of the room. He looked up at the paintings on the wall above her bed and grimaced. Had he not known Abby, he wouldn't have known the picture displayed a microscopic bloody mess from a crime scene. He may have thought it was abstract art but knowing what it was made him shudder. He was glad he didn't know what crime scene it came from or when. His Goth was a lovable little thing but he'd never understood her obsession with gore.

Gibbs closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck. Putting off the inevitable wasn't going to make his day go any better. He needed to fish or cut bait. Makayla needed to understand the seriousness of her actions. He couldn't have her running off doing her own thing, and lying to him. If he couldn't trust her word, they had a big problem. Scratching the back of his head thoughtfully, his gut was telling him this whole thing had a lot more to do with her feelings for Riley than she let on. Damn if he wasn't over his head. He had no clue how to handle teen girls. He was going to royally screw this up if he didn't tread carefully.

Gibbs turned to face Makayla. She stood solemnly with tear-stained cheeks and her arms wrapped around herself. He heaved a heavy sigh. He had to deal with her behaviour. He couldn't sweep it under the rug no matter how pathetic she looked. "You knew what Riley was going to do yet you went after him. Mak, what were you thinking?"

She shook her head but didn't say anything.

_Makayla, you've got to give me something here_, he pleaded with her as he looked deep into her teary eyes.

"You didn't tell me what Riley was planning or what you knew about Trace. You walked in on a hostage situation and almost got your head blown off. My god, Makayla, Tony could have killed you."

"I'm sorry—"

He held up a finger. "I know you're sorry. This isn't about apologies. This is about you understanding how stupid and dangerous your actions were. I need to know you won't lie to me again. I need to be able to trust you, Makayla because right now I don't and I don't know how to remedy that."

"I don't know what you want me to say!" she bit back, tears cascading down her pale face.

"The truth!"

Gibbs ran his hand through his hair and sighed. He glanced at his watch realizing it was past noon now. He hadn't had much to eat, not that he was hungry but he was sure that was playing a part in his irritation. Low blood sugars played a role in teenager obstinacy, right? He knew Makayla had to be hungry as well. He was concerned about Janessa who seemed to still be sleeping soundly after her ordeal. He had no idea where Aimee had gone to and his gut told him Riley was probably in his room packing to leave. His day was quickly turning to shit.

Words sprang to his lips as his exasperation grew bigger than him. "I've had you over my knee twice before, haven't I?" He held up his thumb. "Once to prove a point." He held up a finger. "And the other to get your attention when you were being disrespectful. Both times had nothing to do with you and me."

Makayla blinked back a fresh onslaught of tears, her lower lip wobbling. "Agent Gibbs-"

"Now it's personal between you and me. Be honest with me right here, right now, Makayla or so help me you can sit on a busted tail writing me a paper telling me what happened. The choice is yours. Either way, I wanna hear the entire convoluted tale and trust me; Riley will be getting the same offer."

Gibbs mentally kicked himself. So there it was, the heavy-handed threat laid out, just lingering in the air. God knew he wanted it to be an empty threat. Interrogating and intimidating perps to give him the information he wanted—he could do that. Didn't bother him in the least. Demanding an emotional teenage little girl spill her heart to him? Hell, yeah, it bothered him.

Gibbs watched as she digested his words. The threat she knew he'd make good on weighing heavy on her. Makayla swallowed several times, choking back sobs. He held his stern expression but his heart was aching. The last thing he wanted to do was take her across his knee but he meant every word. He would not permit her to continue to lie and manipulate him; he needed to find out the whole story. None of this could happen again.

Gibbs took a few steps towards her, deciding to make things a little more real. He took her by the arm and pulled her towards the bed, pinning her between his knees. When he spoke, his voice was firm. "What'll it be?"

_**Gibbs has made some ultimatums and I guess we will see where this heads next chapter. The truth has to come out sometime.**_


	31. Chapter 31

_**HI READERS!**_

_**Special shout outs to fanclaire, DS2010, Bohogal1998, 90theGeneral09, AureaD, Guest, GuestG, Fan and KrisShannon...your reviews are like payment in the bank. They inspire me to continue the story.**_

_**Guest...I'm so sorry to hear about the riots in Minnesota. Life is definitely upside down and scary these days. The uncertainty makes everyone feel unsafe. Keep your chin up and hopefully, this update will bring a little cheer to your day.**_

_**I've had my share of struggles lately. Lucky me lives in Ontario, where the virus seems to ramp up rather than scale down. It's not easy balancing kids during a pandemic, let me tell you. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING is cancelled. How do you explain this to kids? Summer camps and family plans...it's been one disappointment after another for them. It's so disheartening to see such sad little people. The other day one of my kiddies had a meltdown in the store. (Sometimes I HAVE to bring my kids with me...my husband is working from home and he can't watch the little ones safely.) A man had a mask on and it was scary. He spoke to her and she flipped out. It's not his fault or her fault. It's just hard.**_

_**Also, please please watch your babies in the carts...my little one has chemical burns on the back of her legs from whatever spray they are using. It's exhausting, but now I wear my baby in a wrap and carry my toddler. I feel like I need to be an octopus. The carts have become dangerous. Okay, I digress. My little rant for the day. **_

_**Anyway, here is the next chapter. A little warning that a fictional adult is a little more hands-on with a fictional teenager. I promise it's not that bad.**_

_**Enjoy :)**_

The blood pounded in his ears. His heart thudded in his chest. His hands shook when he gripped the steering wheel. His vision blurred as if he were looking through a fisheye lens. He had to get away. He couldn't stay in that house any longer. There was too much of a risk that someone might talk him out of his decision. He was stranded. Drive, and he could cause an accident. Not drive, and he was too close to what happened. Looking Gibbs in the face sucked the oxygen from his lungs.

He took a long, slow, deep breath, and turned the key in the ignition. No one would know he left. He'd abandon the truck at the bus depot. It wasn't stealing. It was borrowing. Gibbs would get his truck back in the end. That was all that mattered.

He clutched the steering wheel, his fingers gripping it so tightly that his knuckles were white. Breathing was hard. Almost impossible. As if he'd just run a marathon. His chest grew tighter until he thought he would pass out.

A knock on the window startled him.

"Hey, Riley, are you okay?"

Riley's eyes widened when he saw Tony's face appear in the driver's side window. He didn't respond. He couldn't if he tried. He convulsively swallowed feeling like he had stones lodged in his throat.

"Riley?" This time the man knocked on the window making Riley jump.

"I'm fine," Riley managed to choke out.

He wanted a do-over, to try and say the words one more time with conviction but he knew couldn't. His breathing was ragged now, an odd gasp sound emitting from his mouth as his body began to tremble. If he didn't calm down, he would pass out. It'd happened before. Just not for a long time. Not since his D.I. had—

"Riley," Tony said, opening the driver's door. "You're having a panic attack."

Riley wanted to laugh, to breathe out a little and say, "No shit, really? I hadn't noticed." But all he could do was nod, shutting his eyes tight and clinging to the steering wheel, his fingers aching from the tension. He willed his lungs to stop closing in on him, to open so he could breathe but they didn't listen.

"Riley, look at me."

Riley obeyed seeing Tony's compassionate green eyes trying to mask concerns. Tony placed a hand on his shoulder as he took a slow, deep breath and released it. He nodded in Riley's direction. "Now you try. C'mon, breathe with me. In through your nose and out through your mouth."

Riley did as he was told, emulating Tony's slow exaggerated breathing. In through his nose and out through his mouth. Slowly his vision began to clear and his pulse slowed, the sound of rushing blood through his ears quieting. He licked his lips, his head crashing forward onto the steering wheel setting off the horn. He jerked his head back listening to his galloping heartbeat. Tony squeezed his shoulder to steady him.

"You're okay. Just keep breathing."

Riley kept breathing. In and out.

"Scoot over."

Riley lifted his head and stared. "Why?"

"Because you're in no condition to drive, that's why now move over."

Riley obliged and leaned against the passenger door feeling exhausted. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd slept. He felt his hands shaking and he shoved them under his legs to stop the trembling.

Tony pulled the keys out of the ignition and held them up. "Gibbs know you're taking his truck?"

Riley shook his head feeling more in control.

"No offence, man, but you look like crap. You should probably get some sleep before getting into any vehicle. You could kill someone."

Riley eyed Tony's equally dark circles. "Speak for yourself. You look like shit and you drove here.

Tony shook his head. "I've been sitting in my car for the past several hours replaying everything that happened this morning."

"Oh."

"Where were you going?"

"Bus station."

"Why?"

"I'm leaving to stay with my mom."

"Gibbs know this?"

It felt like a really bad game of racquetball. Riley would answer a question, and Tony would fire another back. "I can't stay here."

"Oh, I get it. You're running away—"

"No! Look, there is no way Gibbs wants me around after I almost got his kid killed—"

"Did he say that?"

"No, he didn't have to. I'm not an idiot."

Tony snorted. "Could have fooled me."

Riley felt his temper rising. "What do you want from me, DiNozzo?"

"I want to knock that chip off your shoulder. Damn it, Janssen, face Gibbs like the man you want to be. He's done a hell of a lot for you. You owe him."

Riley grabbed the door handle and reefed it open, jumping out of the truck. Tony was quick, sliding across the seat and grabbing the teen by the arm. Riley attempted to shake him off, but Tony held tight, swinging his legs to the ground and towering over the boy.

Riley glared. "I never asked him—"

"You didn't have to. Don't you get it? That's who Gibbs is. He sees potential in people, and when he lets them in and he never gives up. It doesn't matter what you did. He loves you."

Tears pooled in Riley's eyes. Love. What the hell was that? He wasn't even sure if his mother liked him, let alone loved him. Maybe at one time she did. Before Ryan died. He sure as hell knew his father didn't love him. Hated his guts was more like it.

"I screwed up—"

"So what? Everyone screws up. If you take off, leaving all these unanswered questions, it's gonna rip Gibbs' heart out. Don't you think he's been through enough?"

Tony reached out and put a hand on the back of Riley's head. "Let him in, Riley. He won't hurt you like your dad did."

Riley's eyes darkened and ducked away from Tony's touch, glowering at him. "You don't know shit about what my ole man did." His chest was heaving again, his heart picking up speed, and his emotions vacillating all over the place.

Tony took a step back and heaved an exasperated sigh. "No. No, you're right, I don't. I'm sure it sucked. I get it—"

"Go to hell, DiNozzo and leave me alone! You don't know anything."

Tony puffed out his cheeks and fired the keys in Riley's direction. "Fine. If you want to leave, then go! I'm not going to stop you. See if you can make it on your own, but let me tell you something; you better get used to people not giving a shit because most don't." He pointed towards the house. "But that man in there? He cares about you and wants to help. If you don't want that, then leave. Gibbs has had enough heartache to last a lifetime, and I'm sick to death of seeing him get hurt."

Riley caught the keys, his eyes shimmering with tears and stared at Tony. His head pounded from the tension. More than anything he wanted to give in and believe what Tony was saying, that Gibbs would forgive him and not look at him any differently. Staying with Gibbs had shown him a better life. He wanted that life but how could he look the man in the eye knowing what he'd done? How could he look at Janessa and not remember her terrified face? Trace had played him for a fool. Again. Only this time it had almost cost him Janessa's life. The guilt was eating him up faster than he could draw in air.

He fingered the keys in his hand, forcing his expression to harden. Leaving was his only solution. Riley shoved past Tony and walked towards the driver's side door.

"Aw hell, Riley," muttered Tony, coming up behind him and spinning him around. "Are you that obtuse?"

Raw anger rose in Riley, and before he could stop himself, he balled up his fist and threw a punch at Tony's face. The blow was sluggish. Riley knew the second he launched it. But it connected with Tony's jaw, none the less, causing him to stumble backwards with a groan.

Riley froze, blinking. He hadn't meant to do it. He just needed to leave. Now. Recovering, Riley pushed past Tony but the man was having none of it. Tony shoved him back against the side of the vehicle, holding his arm against his upper chest and levelling him with a dangerous look. Riley grimaced and yelped in pain, being sharply reminded of his broken ribs. If Tony noticed, he didn't let on.

"Feel better big man?"

"Yah. Yah, I do. What are you going to do about it?" Riley was breathing heavily now trying to contain the pain, to stop himself from losing control again. His vision was darkening telling him he was about to fall full circle back where he'd been when Tony first found him.

"Try that again and I'll drop you on your ass."

Riley wrestled to get free, but Tony kept a tight grip on him. "Lemme go!"

Tony groaned and shoved harder against his chest until Riley relented, wincing in pain. "You're a real piece of work, you know that? What's it gonna take to get through that thick head of yours?"

Tears sprang to Riley's eyes and as much as he fought to keep them contained, they spilled down his cheeks. He grimaced from the crushing pain from his ribs as well as his tumultuous emotions threatening to take him down. Pain was supposed to be an illusory sensation that his mind could shut out if he needed it to. He used to be able to hold it at bay. He used to be able to control it. He couldn't do it anymore.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs pinned Makayla with a look that made her stomach churn. Tears blurred her vision and her eyes pleaded with him to let her go, to back off, to give her some time to catch her breath. His unyielding stare left no room for sympathy. This Gibbs wasn't the same kindred spirit she knew. This Gibbs meant business.

"Please, don't do this," she pleaded.

His brows gathered together showing what little patience he'd had left. Makayla swallowed, closing her eyes so she couldn't see the intensity of the look he was levelling at her. She needed more time to collect her thoughts.

Without warning, she found herself propelled headlong over Gibbs' knee. Gasping in surprise, her hands flew forward just stopping her face from meeting her comforter. Her feet kicked out, struggling to find the ground, she no longer felt beneath her. She whimpered when his leg pinned hers down.

"Gibbs." she whimpered.

She shuddered when he rested his large, weathered hand on her back.

"Wait," she sobbed, desperate now. "Agent Gibbs… please, wait."

"I'm listening." He didn't make a move to let her up.

Makayla's mind sped up trying to think about what she should say first. Her phone. He wanted to know why Riley broke her phone. She could start there.

"I-I wanted to call you for h-help," she stammered, blood pounding in her ear. She forced her free hand under her chin so she could talk without being smothered by the comforter. "Riley was beaten so badly, but he wouldn't tell me at first who did it. I tried to call you but he smashed my phone so I couldn't. He said Trace targeted Recruits, especially weaker ones like him, forcing them to do things."

"Like what?"

"He didn't tell me."

Gibbs released her other hand, and she gratefully brought it to rest in front of her.

"Keep going." A firm tap on her back spurred her to continue.

"H-he said Trace wanted him to steal Intel from you."

"What kind of intel?"

"Classified information, stuff to do with the military."

Gibbs lifted her and sat her on the bed beside him. "Go on."

Grateful to be upright, Makayla breathed a sigh of relief. "He didn't want me to tell you because Trace had connections that could get you killed. Riley was trying to protect you. When Trace attacked him, he blacked out and couldn't remember what he said."

Gibbs' cobalt blue eyes swam with understanding. His shoulders relaxed a little and he pulled Makayla into an embrace. "Why do you feel the need to push me that far?"

She shrugged her shoulders, tears rolling down her cheeks. How could she explain to him that she felt like she was betraying Riley by revealing these things? Riley should be the one to tell Gibbs what happened. Not her.

He puffed out his cheeks. "Okay, tell me what happened at the hospital?"

She stiffened.

"Makayla." His voice held the same threat in it. "What aren't you telling me?"

"I-I can't tell you," she stammered. "Riley should tell you, Gibbs. Please don't make me break my promise."

Her eyes pleaded with him to understand, to look into her heart and see that she wasn't pandering, that she had good reasons for not betraying Riley's confidence.

Gibbs took in a deep breath, frustration written across his face. "You aren't giving me much choice here, Mak." He rose to his feet and strode across the room raking a hand through his hair several times before turning to face her. "Okay, I can accept that you gave your word to Riley but after he comes clean, you _will _tell me everything that happened between the two of you. Got it?"

Her heart slammed against her chest. Everything? "O-okay," she agreed. She snaked a hand behind her back and crossed her fingers. She would tell him almost everything but not about the kiss. That was personal. He didn't need to know about that.

"You avoided me last night. Why?"

Her throat tightened. "I knew you were mad cuz I left the hospital without telling you to go after Riley."

"Damn straight I was. You put yourself in danger! Geez, Mak, please tell me you understand that. You had no idea what you were walking in on. Trace could have…" His voice trailed off and he heaved a sigh. "I'm pissed enough that Riley was so reckless but at least he has Marine training. Injured or not, he can hold his own. You can't. You're a 14-year-old girl."

The words sunk into her chest at the pitiful shake of his head.

"I needed to know he was okay—" The apology that followed choked the breath from her lungs, and suddenly he towered over her. "I'm sorry."

"You should have told me!"

Makayla dropped backwards on her bed, covering his eyes with her arm. Her head was pounding. Gibbs kept beating the same nail. Yes, she should have told him, but she'd made a promise to Riley. She wasn't going to feel regret for keeping her promise.

Silence permeated the room, but she could hear Gibbs breathing. He didn't move but stood in the same spot. She could almost hear the wheels grinding in his head. She wasn't out of the woods yet.

"Sit up."

She puffed out her cheeks in annoyance and sat up.

"Mak, you should know that diplomacy isn't my strong suit."

"I don't know what else you want me to say."

"I want you to say something that makes sense."

"Riley had a plan—"

"What kind of plan?"

She shrugged. "He just wanted to scare Trace enough to back off."

"To back off from what?"

"Bullying him to do stuff."

Gibbs seems to ponder her words for a moment before saying, "Did he ever mention anything about Project Continego?"

"No, what's that?"

Gibbs hesitated, the lines on his face deepening. "Never mind."

Makayla rolled her eyes and stood to her feet. She might as well be sitting in interrogation with bright lights shining on her face or did NCIS do that? Maybe she'd watched too many late-night crime shows. It was all beginning to irritate her. Gibbs wanted to know everything yet he wasn't willing to tell her anything. How was that fair?

"You're being so annoying—"

XxXxNCISxXxX

That was his last straw. He'd been patient. He'd given her the benefit of the doubt. All at once something inside him felt like it snapped. His patience, maybe? Whatever it was, it propelled him across the room taking Makayla by the arm and flipping her back over his knee. Gibbs' rested his hand on Makayla's back and took stock of his emotions. He wasn't angry. He felt surprisingly calm considering everything that had happened over the last 24 hours. Things could have turned out very differently. Instead of her squirming over his knee, she could have been lying on a morgue table. That thought motivated him to raise his hand and swat her. Makayla screeched her displeasure, squirming and begging for him to let her go. He turned a deaf ear to her pleas and laid down several more. He purposely cupped his hand causing the noise to sound much worse than it was.

"Cut the crap."

He hated being placed in this position, but it was better for her to spend several uncomfortable minutes over his knee than to have her life snuffed out because of her reckless impulsiveness. She was young; she had her whole life ahead of her, and he planned to make sure she was around to live it.

"Please stop, Agent Gibbs! P-please," she begged, reaching back her hand to block him. Gibbs expected it; he caught her hand in his and pinned it to her back. His hand stung so he'd made the swats count. He wasn't playing with her. A handful more was added to the others causing her to cry out in dismay. He didn't feel like he needed to say anything, and to some extent, he knew that probably made the situation feel much worse.

"T-Trace threatened you," She finally choked out after a moment or two. Gibbs stilled his hand and listened. "And…and… if Riley t-told him where you l-lived, Janessa and Aimee w-weren't safe either. He had to…to… move fast…" her voice hitched with sobs.

Gibbs frowned. Riley's assessments were skewed at best. As far as he knew Trace was nobody special and certainly no threat to him. Project Continego was classified beyond his reach and had nothing to do with him or NCIS. None of what she was saying made any sense. Riley would need to fill in the blanks.

"Why'd you follow me and barge into the room?"

He didn't feel the need to explain. She knew exactly what he was asking her. Why would she barge into Ellis' home in the first place without knowing all the circumstances of what he was doing? He warned her to let him handle it but she followed him. That concerned him. Gibbs gave her another volley of swats hoping to motivate her to answer honestly. He meant business. Better this than dead. Makayla's shoulders shook with sobs. Gibbs waited, giving her time to collect her thoughts. A car horn blew in the distance making him turn his head towards the window. Did that come from his driveway?

"I-I thought you were ignoring me s-so I followed. Then when I saw Tony and the rest of the team, I knew something was up. I'm sorry, Agent Gibbs. I-I shouldn't have followed you."

"Makayla, when you saw my team that should have been your first clue to stay away!"

He punctuated his sentence with a flattened hand to her tender undercurve.

She yelped, breaking into shuddering sobs. "I'm sorry!"

Gibbs pulled her up to face him with a frustrated groan. His heart plummeted when he saw her blotchy face and red-rimmed eyes. It was painful to see her suffocating, holding so tightly to her pride. Gibbs ran his fingers through her hair in an attempt to calm the silent war within her mind.

"I-I heard your voice. I thought I heard Riley…" Makayla's voice hitched. "I was so scared. I don't know why I did it. I just did! I'm sorry."

Gibbs folded her into his arms and held her, slowly putting the pieces together from her muddled admissions. Makayla had followed him because she was angry. She'd heard voices and before she could stop herself, she burst into the room. It had been plain, stupid childish impulsiveness. She had no other excuse and she knew it. He should put her back over his knee and show her exactly how he felt about her recklessness. But he wouldn't. Discipline was supposed to train and teach, not punish. He'd made his point.

"What am I going to do with you?" he mumbled into her hair as he pressed a kiss on her head.

XxXxNCISxXxX

The two of them sat in companionable silence for several long minutes, Makayla's sobs slowly dissipating and her hitched breathing regulating until only a few hiccups emitted from her lips. Gibbs rubbed a hand up and down her back to comfort her. He'd drilled her sufficiently for one day. He'd doled out the inevitable discipline. The girl knew she'd crossed a line with him.

Makayla sniffled and stood to grab a tissue. Keeping her back to him, she blew her nose and stared at her hands. Gibbs came up behind her and gently wrapped his hands around her neck, playfully pretending to throttle her. "You make me crazy, girlie."

His playfulness released the tension in the air bringing a smile to her face.

She turned to face him. "I'm sor—"

Gibbs pressed a finger to her lips. "No more apologies. It's all in the past."

She nodded hesitantly.

"Tony was pretty shaken up. He asked me why I hadn't throttled you yet. Probably should expect a rough time from him."

Makayla visibly paled.

"Part of growing up, Mak, is accepting responsibility for your mistakes."

"I know…I just-" Her voice trailed off as she seemed to struggle explaining her thoughts.

"DiNozzo is all bark. Trust me."

Makayla chewed her lip. "It's not that." She sucked in a sharp breath and walked around Gibbs towards the window. She pulled the curtain back to peer out the window.

"Then what?" Gibbs prompted following her. Her thoughts were important and he wanted her to know that.

"I've never seen him that angry, and—"Makayla stopped talking and put her hand on the windowpane. "Agent Gibbs? You better come see this."

Gibbs walked up beside her and peered down into his driveway. He puffed out his cheeks when he saw Riley fighting against Tony's hold on him. The expression on Tony's face brooked no argument.

"What the hell?" he mumbled under his breath. Why would Tony have the kid pinned against his truck? Tony knew about Riley's injuries. That kind of thing could exacerbate the injury.

He turned to Makayla. "I better go see what going on. We'll talk more later."

Makayla's face paled.

He chuckled and pulled her into a sideways embrace. "Don't look at me like that. You more than earned that sting to your tail, but I have no plans to bruise it anymore." He pulled away and tipped her chin up with his thumb. "Kindred friends still?"

A smile tugged at her lips then broke across her face and she rolled her eyes. "You don't understand what kindred spirits are at all, do you?"

He chuckled and turned to leave the room. He understood more than she knew.


	32. Chapter 32

_**Howdy Readers,**_

_**Thanks for the reviews, follows and private messages. I love engaging with my readers. It's so fun! Feel free to drop me a line anytime.**_

_**Guest from Minnesota...I hope things are settling down there but here is another chapter to hopefully distract you.**_

_**fanclaire...thanks for the review and private messages...hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint :)**_

_**Special thanks to 90TheGeneral09 for all your support, messages and reviews, not to mention encouragement. This story is so much more fun because of our messages. **_

**_READERS...you HAVE to read his chapter on his story Perspective...it is important to the plot of my story...Riley gets into a huge fistfight...READ IT! (and leave a review...I promise it's fantastic!)_**

**_DS2010...Riley and Mackie are both making Gibbs crazy LOL_**

**_AureaD...thanks for your review :)_**

**_Guest...so glad you love my story...thanks for the review and hope you enjoy this chapter too._**

**_GuestG...aww that's so nice of you to say...many people tell me that when we travel. I hope Canadians are always thought of fondly. _**

**_Fan...thanks for your kind words...life is getting a bit easier now the kids are finished school...I can relax a little. _**

**_Guest...you guests need to number yourselves haha hope you enjoy Riley's feistiness in this chapter...he is not giving in easily._**

**_athousandsuns101...you are right, Tony did not handle that well at all...but I think he isn't really himself either...might need a chat with someone...he is feeling really worn. You are also right about Riley...you have some great insights. Thanks for the review!_**

**_Ashkeytia...thanks for your review! I just happened to finished editing my story so I hope you enjoy the next chapter! You had some good ideas and I hope what I've written is makes you smile :)_**

**_THANKS EVERYONE!_**

Tony drew a weary hand through his dark hair as he stepped into Gibbs' front entrance. He stopped to kick off his shoes and hang up his jacket, immediately noticing the delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen. Abby. Even her lab could be turned into a bakery when she was stressed. Gibbs' home just afforded her more space to operate. It smelled like a mixture of French toast, bacon and maple. His stomach rumbled in response.

Turning to look in the mirror, he straightened his hair with a groan. He eyed the growing bruise on the side of his chin. He massaged it tenderly and grimaced. He certainly never expected Riley to throw him a right hook. The kid had one hell of an arm. Thankfully, Gibbs came to the rescue. Tony was in no mood for the teenager. It had been a long evening and early morning, and between the two, he felt spent. He didn't have the patience for some surly teenager with a mammoth chip on his shoulder. That was Gibbs' department.

Tony had no idea how the man did it. Gibbs had a way with kids that no one else did. Riley seemed to melt into a puddle when Gibbs walked up, all the fight leaving him and a look of defeat washing over his face. Before that, it had been all Tony could do to hold him back from tossing a few more punches in his direction. Riley had so much pent up anger.

Tony could count on his fingers how many times he'd dealt with obnoxious teens, and every time it showed him that dealing with kids wasn't his forte. Hell, he hadn't even liked himself as a teenager. He was still recovering from the trauma. Tony did remember teasing a couple of wise-ass teen boys about genital cuffs. The look on their faces had been priceless, worth every second he let them squirm. He'd be willing to place money that neither kid had trouble with the law since that day.

Footfalls on the steps caught his attention and turned to see Makayla inching her way down the steps. As soon as she saw him, her face reddened, and she turned to scurry back up the stairs.

"Mak, wait." He called out after her. He hated the idea that she was running away from him because she was afraid to face him.

Makayla didn't stop but continued up the steps.

Tony rushed after her. "Mackie, please, don't run away. Let's talk."

She stopped at the top step but didn't face him. She shook her head.

"C'mon, please talk to me."

Makayla turned to face him with red-rimmed eyes, wringed her hands together and sucking on her bottom lip. Tony sighed, feeling lower than pond scum. He couldn't miss her blotchy face and uneasiness. It was a no brainer that Gibbs and Makayla had already _chatted._ His heart thudded in his chest at how that conversation must have gone. What could he say to her that Gibbs hadn't already said? He sighed. Tony hoped nothing he'd said in anger to Gibbs had influenced the man's decisions. What she'd done was stupid but not worth Gibbs' wrath.

"Aww, Mackie, are you okay?" He walked towards her, sitting down on the landing.

Mackie wiped a stray tear away and reluctantly sat as far away as she could manage given the small stair landing.

"Is Riley okay?" she managed to ask, tucking her hair behind her ear and obviously not wanting to talk to him about what happened. "I saw you pin him against the truck. What happened?"

"He's struggling over some things."

Makayla was quiet a moment before pointing at his bruising chin. "Riley do that?"

Tony nodded. "Gibbs is with him. He'll be okay."

Makayla stared at him then looked away, still fidgeting uncomfortably. Several awkward moments passed until she looked up again. Tony could see a myriad of emotions swimming across her face. He felt tongue-tied, not knowing if he should say any more about Riley or not. He knew Makayla cared for Riley a little more than just friends, and he felt out of his league even attempting to figure that out. As usual, he felt inept in the teen kid department.

"Riley said he was going to go stay with his mom, but he doesn't even like her."

"People say a lot of things they don't mean when they're hurting, Mak. Don't worry. Gibbs's got this. He cares a lot about Riley."

"I know." She sighed. "How did things get so messed up, Tony?"

Tony offered her a sympathetic smile, reaching out to pat her knee. "Life is messy, kiddo. That's why we need each other."

Mak hesitated a moment and then blurted, "Are you still mad at me?"

Tony puffed out his cheeks and shook his head. "I was, but not anymore."

Makayla looked away, blinking back tears.

"Hey, don't cry—" Tony heaved a sigh. "Geez, I suck at this," he muttered under his breath. " I'm sorry, Makayla— "

Her eyes flew to his. "You're sorry? I'm the one who— "

"I lost my temper, and I shouldn't have but you scared the hell out of me. I couldn't have survived knowing…" His voice trailed off, tears welling in his eyes, not even wanting to finish the sentence. "Anyway, I'm not going to belabour the point since, by the looks of things, you and Gibbs already discussed this."

Makayla squirmed.

"I didn't mean to lose my temper and scare you. Are we still friends?"

Tony was startled when Makayla flung herself into his arms, sobbing. "I-I thought you h-hated me," she wept, her body trembling.

Tony swallowed her into a tight embrace, his throat too thick to speak. Instead, he just held her while she cried. He felt terrible that he'd made her think that. He could never hate her. Never. What the hell kind of person even does that to a kid? Tony stroked her hair and softly hushed her until she cried herself out. He rested his chin on her head, silently berating himself for being such a jerk and vowing never to have kids he could screw up.

"Mackie, I could _never_ hate you." He rubbed a hand up and down her back. "I'm so sorry I made you feel that way."

Makayla slowly pulled away, wiping tears with the back of her hand. "I didn't mean to scare you." Her bottom lip quivered.

"I know. It's okay." Tony was heartbroken when he looked at her tear-streaked face. He reached out and wiped a tear away with his thumb. "What am I doing to do with you?" He said with a smirk, only half teasing her.

"Gibbs already killed me," she murmured, her face reddening and her voice trailing off.

"You don't think you deserved it?"

She didn't say anything but looked down at her hands, fidgeting with her fingers.

Tony smirked at her. Gibbs was nothing if he wasn't consistent. And if Tony knew Gibbs, which he did, the man probably did little more than knock the dust from the seat of Makayla's jeans. Although, he didn't doubt Gibbs left an unpleasant sting behind. Even the head smacks stung a little bit, but Gibbs wasn't a harsh man. Truth be known, he was a teddy bear. The gruff exterior the man showed in interrogation was well-practiced. The playful head smacks and growls were more show than bite, and anyone who was in Gibbs' inner circle knew it.

Tony rubbed the back of his head in a show of commiseration. "He packs a solid wallop, doesn't he?"

Tears still glistened in Makayla's eyes as she nodded and worried her lower lip.

Tony slung an arm around her shoulder and pulled her head down into a headlock. He gently rubbed his knuckles across the top of her head. Makayla giggled and pulled away, straightening her hair.

"You owe me some sweat."

Makayla scowled. "Sweat?"

"Yah, I lost a few litres because of you. You owe me."

Makayla leaned her elbow on her knee and rested her cheek on it. She narrowed her eyes, considering his words. "You mean grunt work, don't you?"

Tony smirked. "Oh, yah."

She rolled her eyes with a groan.

A tiny squeal alerted Tony and Makayla to a presence behind them. Tony turned just in time to catch Janessa as she flung herself into his arms. Tony laughed at Janessa's sleepy face. The little blonde looked dishevelled, and her rosy cheek still had creases in it.

"Hey, Monster! How'd you sleep?"

Janessa snuggled into his lap and tucked her thumb into her mouth but didn't say anything. Sleep still danced in the corners of her eyes. Tony kissed her cheek and cuddled her against his chest. He could wait until she was awake enough to chat. Makayla reached out and rubbed the little girl's arm affectionately. Janessa had definitely wormed her way into everyone's heart.

Tony rocked Janessa and turned to look at Makayla once again. "So, I was thinking, with Gibbs' permission, you come to my place next weekend and help me clean and decorate my condo for Christmas."

Makayla's eyes widened in excitement. "You mean it?"

Tony frowned. Last he checked, kids weren't supposed to look excited over menial labour. Makayla 10, Tony 0. He forced himself to look stern. "This won't be fun, young lady. I'm talking hard labour here. Cleaning grout around my tub and scrubbing the kitchen tile with your toothbrush." He made a face to show how disgusting that was. Deep down, he knew his threats were useless. His maid came in twice a week; his apartment was pristine. He'd probably have to spit toothpaste on the bathroom walls and mirror or something, so Makayla had something to clean.

Makayla smirked, trying her hardest to look revolted until Tony laughed out loud.

"I wants to come too?" piped up Janessa through her thumb still in her mouth. "I cans draw pictures on your tub. Do you gots a red crayon?"

Tony groaned with a chuckle and hugged the girl close as she giggled. Somehow he wasn't being taken seriously at all. "If Gibbs is okay with it, we can make it a sleepover." After everything that had gone down the last little while, Tony had a feeling Gibbs could use a night off to sleep or work on his boat or whatever the man did when he was alone.

"Hooray!" shouted Janessa, nearly deafening him as she sat up, looking wide awake now.

"Can Aimee come too?" asked Janessa.

Tony sighed. It looked like he'd need to cancel his weekend with Jessica, his flight attendant friend. Again. "Why not! The more, the merrier. Plus, I get more stuff clean." He made the sound of a creepy monster and tickled Janessa until she squealed.

Tony stood to his feet, lifting Janessa into his arms. The smell of food was overwhelming him now. If he didn't sink his teeth into something soon, he'd faint dead away. "Let's go see what Abby's cooking."

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs walked into his garage, feeling Riley's eyes following him. He grabbed some tie straps, bungee cords and rope from a box and proceeded to toss them into the utility box in the back of his pickup truck. He fastened the lid then hopped behind the wheel. He peered out the window to where Riley still sat leaning against the vehicle.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get in."

Riley scowled at him but stood up, brushing himself off and getting in the passenger side.

Gibbs put the truck in gear and backed out of his laneway. Abby was with the girls, and he knew Tony planned to stick around for several hours. That was all the time he needed. After a few private words with Tony, it hadn't been hard for Gibbs to realize that Riley was in no mood for any kind of conversation. It was better to take some action than to beat his head against the wall trying to make the kid see reason.

Gibbs drove in silence with Riley staring straight ahead, radiating anger. Gibbs inwardly shrugged. It was no skin off his nose; he was content to let the kid have his headspace. Soon enough, Riley would get curious and ask where they were heading.

Gibbs' mind drifted back to Makayla. It bothered him that he'd spanked her. He loathed doing it, and he worked so hard to prevent it. The silly girl was so stubborn and prideful, not willing to admit her mistakes; it was a terrible character flaw that he'd need to work on with her. Gibbs didn't want to deal with that every time she took a mind to disobey. It was bad enough he had a battle of wills with Aimee, but at least she was only nine; he felt a little less uncomfortable flipping her over his knee. But, Makayla was 14, approaching womanhood faster than the blink of an eye; spanking her made him feel like a bully. He'd need to think of better ways of reaching her for both their sakes.

"Where are we going?" Riley asked suddenly, pulling Gibbs from his thoughts.

Gibbs looked at him for a moment. "Why'd you punch Tony?" Riley huffed and crossed his arms. "What? You answer my question, and I'll answer yours."

Riley groaned. "I'm not playing stupid games with you, Agent Gibbs."

Good ole Riley, polite even when angry, Gibbs mused. "Who's playing games? I want to know why you hit him."

"He pissed me off."

Gibbs tipped his head to the side with a chuckle, commiserating with Riley. There were times Tony pissed him off too. He'd give the kid that one. "How so?"

"He wouldn't let me leave."

Gibbs stared ahead, squinting to read the road signs. He should have worn glasses. His distance vision grew worse by the year.

"I already told you you're not leaving until I make arrangements with your mom. If Tony hadn't of stopped you, I would of come after you."

"And do what?" asked Riley, his voice holding a dare.

"Bring you back here."

"Waste of time. I'd just leave again."

"Maybe, maybe not. Doesn't matter. I'm responsible for you, so I do what I have to do."

From the corner of his eye, Gibbs could see Riley's body stiffen. Gibbs hung a left and continued on a dirt road. He remained quiet, waiting for Riley to speak again.

"Where're we going?" The boy finally asked.

"O'Malley Tree Farm."

"What the heck for?"

Gibbs chuckled. "I promised the girls a tree, so you and I are getting one. Ever cut down your own Christmas tree before?"

"No. It's stupid. Why kill a tree for Christmas?"

Gibbs pondered that question for a minute, thinking Riley had a point. Christmas was one day a year, and people all over chopped down perfectly good trees to decorate. Certainly did seem wasteful.

"It's tradition," he finally said, deciding it was the best answer. Wasteful or not, his girls were getting a real tree. Aimee and Janessa had been through so much the past six months or so. They deserved a happy Christmas. That is if he ever had time to shop. He had a feeling that a few words to Abby, along with his credit card with no set limit, would get him exactly what he needed.

"Dumb tradition."

"Maybe, but you're committed now, so deal."

Not 15 minutes later, Gibbs and Riley found themselves roaming around a Christmas tree lot for the perfect tree. Gibbs noticed the rougher edges had fallen from Riley's shoulders as they walked, pointing out possible trees they might choose. Gibbs, too, began to relax as the afternoon wore on. The two men didn't talk much as they agreed on the picture-perfect tree, chopped it down and hauled it to the truck. Riley's cheeks pinked up, and Gibbs even noticed a few smiles as they worked. Riley seemed to perk up out in the outdoors, sun on his face and some physical labour under his muscles. Gibbs had seen the same from Riley before when the teen had helped him split and stack wood in the back yard. Riley was a physical kid that seemed to thrive when he was busy working with his hands.

Gibbs grabbed a couple of cups of hot chocolate when he paid for the tree and was pleasantly surprised to see that Riley had fastened the spruce securely with the tie straps and bungee cords.

"Great job. Thanks. You hungry?" Gibbs asked as he handed Riley a drink.

Riley accepted the cup and nodded. "Starving."

"Cutting trees down will do that to you." Gibbs warmed his fingers on the paper cup between sips. The liquid was chocolatey and sweet, not typically his choice of beverage, but it hit the spot and warmed him up. Despite the warmth of the sun, the day had grown cold. Old man winter wasn't far away. You could almost smell the snow in the air. Gibbs finished his drink, tossing the cup into the nearest waste receptacle and hopping in his truck. He turned to see Riley get in and fasten his seatbelt.

"What do you feel like?"

"I dunno, a burger maybe?"

Gibbs nodded and pulled his truck out onto the roadway once more.

This time they rode in more companionable silence. Gibbs knew he needed to talk about what happened with Trace, but he dreaded it. Riley was a loose cannon, and Gibbs still felt drained from dealing with Makayla. Waiting another day wouldn't make a difference, would it?

"I don't really want to stay with my mom," Riley said suddenly, surprising Gibbs.

"I know."

"How'd you know?"

"Call it a sixth sense."

Riley didn't call him on it any further but instead fidgeted in his seat and then blurted, "I let you down, Agent Gibbs. I messed up. I can't say how sorry I am about that. How can you stand to look at me knowing I almost got Janessa killed?" Gibbs couldn't miss the quake in Riley's voice. He kept driving, being careful not to project his emotions. When he thought about Janessa, and what could have happened, it sucked the wind out of him.

"Do you wanna stay with me, Rye?"

Riley rubbed his forehead gingerly. "Do _you _want me to stay?"

Gibbs nodded. "That has never changed for me. Yes, I'm pissed, but not about what you think." Gibbs saw Riley stiffen, but he decided he needed to continue anyway. "You lied to me, Riley. You involved Makayla, and she could have gotten hurt." Gibbs saw Riley's face reddened, and his mouth opened to protest, but Gibbs held up one hand to stop him. "Hang on; I know you're not responsible for how Mackie reacted. That's not what I'm saying at all. Hear me out. Do you remember a while ago when you first encountered Trace?"

Riley nodded.

"You handled that confrontation well. You called for backup. And later, when we discussed it further, you said you'd ask for help if you needed it." Gibbs turned to give Riley a stern look before returning his eyes to the road once again. "Why didn't you?"

Deafening silence filled the truck as Gibbs continued to drive. Gibbs was grateful he caught some sleep and had some time in the outdoors to clear his head because it allowed him the common sense he needed to give Riley some space. Given Riley's PTSD and his tendency to blow up on a dime, Gibbs wanted to tread carefully if he expected to get anywhere. Several long minutes progressed into what felt like an endless void of time until Gibbs pulled into a local fast food place. A quick look at Riley told him drive-through would be the better choice. He didn't need the kid causing a scene in the restaurant. Gibbs pulled up and ordered a couple of number 2's—cheeseburger, fries and rings and drinks—paid and pulled into a nearby parking spot. Handing Riley his meal, Gibbs bite into his burger, grease dripping down his chin. It was a good thing Abby wasn't anywhere around; she'd be hassling him about his cholesterol.

Riley popped a few fries in his mouth but remained quiet.

Gibbs chewed slowly and wiped his face with a napkin. "How long has Trace been hounding you? I understand you wanted to deal with it on your own. I can even respect that, but considering the man beat you to a pulp, and broke a couple of ribs, logic has to come into play somewhere." Riley groaned, but Gibbs continued. "You should of stayed in the hospital, Riley, and you should of been honest about blacking out when Trace beat you up…"

Riley's chocolate brown eyes darkened dangerously, making Gibbs wish he hadn't said anything. "Makayla had no business telling you that!" he snapped, pushing his food aside.

"I'm glad she did, Rye because now things make more sense to me. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why you were so hell-bent on going after Trace yourself. You thinking my girls were in danger made stealing my weapon make more sense to me."

Riley's jaw muscles tightened, accentuating the purple bruises on his jawline.

"You lying to me is something we can handle between us, but stealing my weapon is a little more complicated. NCIS owns my weapon, and the fact that Trace had it, makes things awkward to explain away." Gibbs never planned to implicate Riley, but the weapon made things more complicated for him.

Riley fidgeted and took a bite of his hamburger.

Gibbs continued, "Asking Makayla to keep secrets from me…"

"I didn't!" Riley nearly choked on his food.

"You did, Riley," insisted Gibbs. Gibbs' steely cobalt eyes pierced Riley. The boy needed to hear the truth, whether he liked it or not. "Look, I'm not blaming you for Makayla's choices, but her loyalty to you is something you need to recognize. She likes you. Probably more than you realize, that changes how a young girl thinks."

"Is that my fault?"

"No, I'm not saying it is. Rye, listen to me," Gibbs felt frustrated. He wasn't sure how to make Riley understand the power he had over Makayla because of her infatuation. Gibbs wasn't even sure Riley could understand. He was still a young himself. Riley would have no idea how much he could manipulate a girl without even realizing it. Gibbs knew Riley was a good kid from a small town; there'd be no way Riley would intentionally lead Makayla on just to use her. At least he didn't think so. "It didn't matter what I said, Makayla refused to tell me anything! She's very loyal to you. Hell, even when I pulled her across my knee…"

"You hit her?" Riley's already dark eyes darkened dangerously.

Gibbs could have kicked himself when he realized his mistake. He sighed. How could he be so stupid? He hadn't meant to blurt it out like that. He needed to be more careful.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath. "That didn't come out right, Riley—what I meant was…"

"That you're a bastard? Yah, you are! You're no different than my ole man, are you? Only you're worse because you sober when you beat women!"

"Riley," Gibbs said in frustration, but it was no use. Riley wasn't listening. He yanked open the door to jump out of the truck. Gibbs cursed under his breath but was quick enough to slide across the seat and grab Riley by the forearm before he could get far.

"Wait a minute!"

Riley shook Gibbs off. "Back off, Gibbs!"

Gibbs released him, getting out of the truck to stand in front of the boy. The last thing he needed was Riley taking a swing at him in the fast-food parking lot with a bunch of nosy witnesses watching.

"I didn't hit her!" Gibbs raked an irritated hand through his hair, trying to keep himself from losing his cool. "Riley, for Pete's sake, Tony almost blew her head off. Makayla needs to know boundaries. That can't happen again. She can't just waltz in on a hostage situation like she owns the place. She could've been killed."

Riley's jaw muscles tightened. "So, you hit her to show her you're the boss—"

"No!" shouted Gibbs, his voice carrying across the parking lot, making heads turn to stare. Gibbs lowered his voice. "I spanked her, Riley. Damn it; there's a difference."

Riley shook his head, glaring at him in disbelief. "Yah, keep telling yourself that."

Gibbs clenched his jaw, thinking how much he'd like to haul Riley over his knee and show him the difference. Somehow it felt like it'd be a whole hell of a lot easier than dealing with this every time the topic came up. But instinctively, Gibbs knew that was a road he would never walk with Riley. Given his background and age, it wouldn't be appropriate at all.

The two of them stared at each other until Gibbs finally relented and sighed. He wasn't going to get anywhere with Riley being this defensive. Gibbs had to admit he'd royally screwed up. Things had been going pretty good, and he just had to say the wrong damned thing. He puffed out his cheeks in dismay. He couldn't catch a break.

Gibbs opened the passenger side door and pointed. "Get in," he ordered.

Riley shook his head to protest, but Gibbs leaned in closer to him. "It's not a goddamned request." At this point, Gibbs was just daring Riley to push him. He'd cuff him and toss his ass into the truck if he had too. Gibbs had no patience left.

"Whatever." Riley got in, and Gibbs slammed the door.

The drive back to his house was silent.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs fell back into his chair around 10pm that evening feeling ready to sleep for a week. He was too tired to move a muscle. He'd managed to put on a cheerful face for Abby and the girls when he returned, despite Riley storming into the house and disappearing to his room for the rest of the evening. Makayla looked crestfallen when Riley ignored her greeting. Gibbs hugged her, asking that she give him some space. Thankfully, the eagerness of Aimee and Janessa seeing a Christmas tree overshadowed Riley's gloomy entrance, and the family spent the rest of the day playing corny Christmas music and decorating the tree. Abby's enthusiasm made up for Gibbs' quiet unrest. Tony's silly antics and animated presence kept everyone giggling. Tim and Ziva even turned up for a couple of hours, which made everything feel just a little more festive, all his kids under one roof. It warmed Gibbs' heart. Unfortunately, Riley's absence cast a shadow onto the evening.

Gibbs reached for his camomile tea and took a long drink. He hoped it would help relax him and ease his tension headache. He wanted a full night's sleep tonight. He still needed to deal with Riley, whether the kid liked it or not, and he knew it wasn't going to be a fun time for either one of them. Makayla was heading back to school tomorrow; she had two weeks left before Christmas break. Thankfully, the teen girl seemed to have no hard feelings towards him; she'd hugged and kissed him goodnight, which did his heart a lot of good.

"Daddy?"

Gibbs looked towards the steps and saw a small blond head peeping around the corner. He smiled when he saw Janessa's little face peeking at him. He motioned for her to come to him, and she eagerly scurried into his waiting arms. He pressed a kiss onto her chubby baby cheek and pulled her onto his lap. Her big eyes stared at the Christmas tree adorning the room, casting colourful shadows around the room.

"Why are you still awake?" he asked her, rubbing circles on her back.

"I don't know. I closed my eyes, but they popped right back open again," Janessa said in all seriousness. Gibbs chuckled, knowing the little girl had slept until almost noon after her ordeal with Trace. He figured she wasn't feeling tired enough yet to sleep.

"Is Aimee asleep?"

"Uh-huh."

"Did you have a bad dream or just popped open eyes?"

Janessa closed her eyes, and they popped open quickly. "See? They just pops open every time I close them." She scrunched up her face looking concerned. "They might be busted."

Gibbs tickled her, and she giggled. "You're a silly goose, do you know that? You're probably not tired after sleeping until lunchtime." He hugged her. "Do you like the tree?"

"It's so pretty, daddy." She hugged herself. "I just wants to hug it all day." The little girl's eyes twinkled in the lights.

Gibbs poked her nose. "I don't think hugging it would be a good idea. It might fall on top of you. How about you hug me instead?" Janessa happily obliged, wrapping her arms around his neck, squishing him as tight as she could.

Gibbs soaked her in, enjoying the moment. These times made everything else fade away.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Makayla slipped on her jacket, grabbed her backpack and ran out the door towards Gibbs' truck. As usual, she was running late and would need a late slip. Thankfully this time, it wasn't her fault, and Gibbs had said he'd explain it to the Headmaster once they got there. Gibbs was still upstairs with Aimee _discussing_ treehouse parameters, as usual. At least Aimee was consistent in her stubbornness.

"Hey, Mak."

Mackie spun around to see Riley walk out from the garage. He wore an old leather jacket and faded, ripped blue jeans. His hands were dirt-covered, and his face was smudged. He smiled at her revealing a little dimple in his cheek that she hadn't noticed before. His dark hair had grown so much that it fell into his eyes a little making him flick his head sideways to remove it. Her heartbeat was a little faster as she smiled back at him. "Don't you ever sleep in?"

"Nope."

"What are you doing?"

He looked over his shoulder and then back at her. "Agent Gibbs has a lot of unfinished projects kicking around. Thought I'd try my hand at fixing a few. Gives me something to do."

"You look tired. Are you okay? When you said you were leaving yesterday, I…uh…"

Riley pulled out a rag from his pocket and wiped his hands off. "Yah, about that, I…uh…guess I'm sticking around a little longer after all."

Makayla's heart fluttered. That news made her very happy. "I'm glad to hear that."

Riley pointed at her face, reaching towards her. "You have jam on your cheek."

Makayla blushed, and as she reached to wipe it off, Riley beat her to it, their hands briefly connecting. When his fingers touched her cheek, her heart skipped a beat, and she felt heat come to her cheeks. She felt breathless as her heart hammered against her ribcage.

"Mak, I'm sorry about…" Riley hesitated for a moment. "Gibbs…uh…he said you wouldn't tell him what I said to you…and I…uh…wanted to say thanks. Um, I know he was hard on you…hit you even, and I'm pretty pissed he did that…"

Makayla's face reddened at Riley's words. The last thing she wanted Riley to know was that Gibbs had—she shook her head to clear the memory away. It was too humiliating to think about, and knowing Riley knew about it made it even worse. She felt mortified.

"Are we okay?" asked Makayla wanting to change the subject.

"Yah, yah, of course. A lot of stuff happened, and I guess I just want to forget about it, but if you want to know anything else…"

"No," Makayla said quickly. She didn't want to know any more secrets about Trace or anything else that might get her into trouble. She'd had enough run-ins with Gibbs to last a lifetime. "Um, let's start over. Okay?"

Riley's eyes seemed to brighten at her words. "I'd like that, Mak." He reached out his still dirty hand. "Friends?"

Makayla smiled and shook his hand.

Riley stuck his hands in his pockets and looked uncomfortable for a moment before speaking again. "So, like maybe we could get a burger or something after school today?"

"I'd like that."

As Riley opened his mouth to say something else, Gibbs came rushing out and stopped in front of Riley. Riley's face darkened, and he took a few steps back. Makayla shivered. It was already chilly outside, but she felt a sudden temperature drop as soon as Gibbs walked up. Obviously, things were not resolved between Gibbs and Riley yet.

"I'm dropping Makayla off at school, and then you and I are going to take a road trip."

Riley scowled. "Where?"

"You'll see. Get in." He turned to Makayla and winked at her. "You too. We're late."

Makayla shrugged. "Not my fault this time."

Gibbs rolled his eyes and chuckled.

Makayla smirked and gently pulled Riley to the passenger door. Riley reluctantly followed her and opened the door, letting her get in first. The ride to school was uncomfortably long.

**PLEASE read 90TheGeneral09's story Perspective. I call his latest chapter _my chapter 32b._...I will be making reference to that in my next chapter. Don't forget to review it for him. He's a fantastic writer as well. He really gets into Melissa Wallace's life...Makayla's sister and life at Xavier (the school Makayla attends)**


	33. Chapter 33

_**Happy 4th of July to my American readers, Happy belated Canada Day to my Canadian readers, Happy day to all my other readers.**_

_**Hey, do me a favour and tell me where you're from when you review.**_

_**I am loving the reviews and personal messages. They make me smile.**_

_**I hope you enjoy my chapter...action scenes are not my strength. Please be gentle with me :)**_

Gibbs pinched the bridge of his nose, waiting for the headache pills he'd taken to work their magic. He'd been nursing a whopper of a headache for the past couple of hours. First, he'd broken up one hell of a fistfight between Riley and Josh Marshall Jr, and then he'd spent a couple of hours trying to piece together why the fight even happened in the first place. Josh, for his part, although obviously, the instigator was apologetic and courteous while Riley was disrespectful and seethed with unbridled anger. It was like dealing with a caged animal. Josh offered remorse and respect, while Riley's behaviour was the epitome of appalling. Gibbs reached his breaking point more than a few times during the conversation. Leaving Josh in his unimpressed father's more than capable hands, Gibbs dragged Riley out of Xavier by the scruff of the neck. Instinctively, Gibbs knew the unchecked anger was directed at him and not Josh at all. Josh had just released the beast. Thankfully, Gibbs was able to keep a lid on his exasperation as he all but bodily dragged Riley to the hospital to get checked out. Gibbs worried Riley sustained more injury but was relieved to discover that he hadn't.

Either Riley had an unbelievably high threshold for pain or an uncanny ability to mask his pain because the kid refused to admit he felt any. After several hours at Emerge and Gibbs requesting some strong pain meds, the two of them departed towards the destination he originally planned. Gibbs intended to follow through with his idea, although a small part of him wondered now if he should abandon the idea altogether. Riley had been smacked around more than a body should over the past couple of days. Gibbs didn't intend to add to the teen's injuries, but his idea was going to jar the kid a little more depending on how Riley chose to react.

Gibbs risked a quick look in Riley's direction only to puff out his cheeks and continue driving in silence. Riley Janssen was still seething. The muscles in his jaws clenched so tightly Gibbs was surprised the kid's teeth hadn't worn down to the gum line. The tension in the truck was thick enough to slice. Gibbs hated to admit defeat, but he'd reached his end when it came to ideas. Riley had a chip on his shoulder so large that it was going to knock him on his ass, either that or someone else was going to do it. Josh Marshall came pretty close without even knowing it. Gibbs couldn't help thinking he intervened too soon, but he feared for Riley. The kid was lucky he knew how to tuck in for a blow. He was well trained. Marines were taught to fight well. It probably saved him a lot of pain.

Gibbs' thoughts continued to spin around in his head until he pulled his truck into an abandoned parking lot. Not saying a word to Riley, he grabbed a couple of large duffel bags from the back and dropped them on the ground. One look around the area and he nodded his head in satisfaction. It was exactly as he remembered. Gibbs rounded the truck and opened the passenger door. Riley sat with his arms crossed.

"How's the pain?"

All Gibbs got in answer was a silent glare.

"I'll take that as you're okay. Good. Let's go."

He left the door open and began to walk towards the open field, carrying the duffle bags with him. The sun felt warm on his neck, and he was glad the day had turned out to be warmer than predicted. At a brisk 50F, it was a beautiful autumn day, probably one of the last as winter quickly approached. Gibbs chanced a look over his shoulder to see Riley walking behind him, and he heaved a sigh of relief. He hadn't known what he'd do if Riley refused to follow.

Looking around, Gibbs took in the beauty of the park. It was mostly a large grassy field used for soccer and baseball, but right in the middle was a sandy area used for volleyball. He and Tony frequented the place many times throughout the year, Tony to gawk at the scantily dressed women while pretending to work out while Gibbs ran through the many forest trails that surrounded the park. The park was off the beaten path, and Gibbs loved it the serenity. Today's empty lot had been an unexpected bonus and worked in his favour.

Gibbs unzipped one of the duffel bags, grabbed some markers and began pacing the sand. 1, 2, 3 until he reached 16 feet one way and then turned and paced 1, 2, 3 until he reached 20 feet the other way. He carefully marked off the volleyball pit, all the while watching Riley come up and stare at him. A few benches surrounded the volleyball pit, so Gibbs took a seat on one and proceeded to tape and wrap his hands. Riley continued to stare at him until Gibbs grabbed a roll and chucked it at him.

"Ever box before?"

Riley caught the tape and frowned, the wheels turning in his head. Riley wasn't stupid. By now, he knew where Gibbs was going with this.

"They don't teach boxing in the Marines…" stated Riley, his voice clipped as he stood spinning the tape on his index finger.

Gibbs smirked, knowing precisely what Riley was going to say. The kid was too much like him sometimes. Gibbs taped his other hand and then stood to his feet. He grabbed some gloves out of the bag and went into his makeshift boxing ring. As Riley watched, Gibbs warmed up, jabbing at the air and dancing around in the sand. The sand provided excellent resistance, and it would cushion any falls.

"You've got to be kidding me." Riley finally said, looking at him incredulously.

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Gibbs said, stopping to stare at Riley.

Riley rolled his eyes and muttered, "Whatever."

Gibbs decided to go with his gut. He ran towards Riley, stopping to place the large glove over the kid's face and giving him a hard shove. Riley, not expecting the gesture, toppled onto his backside with a pained grunt. He stared up at Gibbs in disbelief.

"Get up," Gibbs said gruffly. "You've wanted this fight since we met. Let's go!"

Riley's look of shock dissipated quickly and was replaced with the earlier resentment. Riley jumped to his feet and took a swing at Gibbs. Gibbs ducked and frowned.

"Gloves, Rye," he said in a low voice.

"Go to hell. I don't need gloves."

Gibbs sighed and walked towards the duffel bag, releasing the Velcro with his teeth and removing one of his gloves. He grabbed a dark blue set of boxing gloves and tossed them in Riley's direction. Quick reflexes had Riley catching them before hitting him in the head.

"Put them on."

Gibbs did not intend to be pummelled to death in this exchange. He also didn't plan to throw many hits himself. The point was to get Riley to release some of the anger and talk to him. Gibbs knew he was going to take a bit of a beating to get there, but he was okay with that. Better him than Riley. The boy had been smacked around enough for a lifetime. Gibbs had boxed enough in his lifetime to know how to pull punches. Mostly Gibbs planned to antagonize the teen just enough to get him to let go of all the pent up emotion. He'd seen Riley starting to come unglued with Josh, and now Gibbs intended to make sure Riley completely lost control.

"I don't need them," Riley reiterated.

"I don't relish the idea of being beaten to a pulp, so put them on anyway."

Riley glared at him.

Gibbs lifted a brow, thinking he might have to motive Riley a little more but was relieved when the dark-haired boy relented. Gibbs noticed the boy hadn't wrapped his hands but knew he had to pick his battles. Riley's hands would ache later, but there wasn't anything to be done about that now.

Gibbs backed up as Riley fastened the gloves to his wrists, tightening one up with his teeth and walking towards him. "What are you trying to prove, Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs returned to the sandpit and began to jump around again, mostly to pick up his heart rate. He jabbed into the air as Riley stepped towards him. Gibbs had to bite back a laugh. Riley couldn't have looked more unimpressed.

"I interrupted you at Xavier. Let's finish it here."

Riley's hands remained at his side. "I never started that."

Gibbs danced a little closer, throwing some jabs in Riley's direction. The kid easily blocked them and assumed a fighting stance by default.

"Never said you did."

Gibbs grabbed Riley by the head with his gloves and gave him a hard shove, sending him reeling backwards. This time Riley stayed on his feet looking more irritated.

Riley hit him with a hard glare. "What are you trying to prove?"

"Too much talking; not enough boxing."

"The Corps doesn't teach boxing—"

"Yah, yah, they teach fighting; show me what you've got!"

Gibbs tossed a few more intentional jabs in Riley's direction, and the kid blocked them without much effort. Then Gibbs lurched forward, locking Riley in a grappling position, attempting to take him down. He did it to piss the kid off, and from how Riley was wriggling to recover, it was working. Riley threw his weight backwards, twisted and while Gibbs anticipated he'd break free, he did not expect Riley to let loose with a powerful right hook aimed at his jaw. Reeling backward, Gibbs released him and stood to rub his jaw. The kid packed a good punch. Gibbs was impressed.

Riley began to circle Gibbs. Gibbs joined the dance, and the two of them sparred. Riley got in a few more good hits as Gibbs attempted to dodge him. Then Gibbs was able to take Riley to the ground, positioning his glove to strike a careful blow—not to hurt the kid but to rile him up further. Gibbs needed Riley to get more than a little pissed off. The teen needed to lose control. Riley's brown eyes darkened dangerously and managed to flip Gibbs over his head. Gibbs groaned when he hit the ground with a thud. Immediately, Riley was on his feet, turning to throw another blow. Thankfully, Gibbs still had his wits enough to jump to his feet and get out of the way. The kid was better than Gibbs realized. He needed to up his game a little so he could still walk by the time it finished. Gibbs went in for a few uppercut jabs, which Riley skilfully blocked. Gibbs wasn't surprised. He picked his moves purposefully. Again, he aimed to annoy, not win. Riley got in a few shots aimed at his gut, which Gibbs didn't block. Gibbs doubled over and held up a hand to catch his breath. Now was the time to do a little skillful talking.

"What did Trace have on you?" Gibbs said as he straightened up and worked to catch his breath.

Riley froze.

Gibbs used the moment to wrap an arm around Riley, essentially putting him in a headlock. Riley whimpered softly, making Gibbs loosen the hold a little but not enough for the kid to get free. He didn't want to hurt Riley, but he also didn't want Riley to get one up on him. "What did you do to piss off Trace?"

Riley twisted and winced, this time groaning loudly. Gibbs released the hold to see Riley's face pale considerably. He backed up and grabbed at his side, letting out a streak of curse words that would make a sailor proud.

"You okay?" asked Gibbs, dropping his hands to his sides. Maybe boxing hadn't been the best of ideas after all. Riley was obviously hurting badly enough to show some discomfort finally.

Riley looked at him in amazement, bit down at his lip and then charged at him with all guns blazing. Gibbs' eyes widened as Riley hammered him with punch after punch. He did his best to block as many as he could, but Riley got in some good hits. The kid lost control enough, not even to notice that Gibbs wasn't throwing any back, just blocking.

"…you're a stupid son of bitch, do you know that?" Riley seethed, throwing a solid punch with the insult.

Gibbs continued dodging and taking blows waiting for Riley to wear himself out. Riley suddenly locked his arm around one of Gibbs' and proceeded to bloody his nose. Another sharp jab went towards his face, and Gibbs came to his senses enough to knock Riley off and send him reeling across the sand. The kid was relentless, though, as he came barreling back swinging at Gibb's face, but Gibbs knocked him down hard this time. Riley landed on his face, catching a mouthful of sand for his troubles. Gibbs moved closer to see if the kid needed help only to catch a punch aimed at his bad knee. The older man wasn't one to show pain, but he let out a loud hiss of pain despite himself. That blow hurt. Riley knew his weak spot and used it well, just what the Corps taught. Riley jumped to his feet and smacked his gloves together, sweat mixed with sand covering his face and arms. Gibbs decided it was time to mean business. He'd been playing around long enough, and now it was time to end things. Gibbs winced as he moved to clinch Riley, but then the kid suddenly dropped to his knees, covering his head with the gloves. Gibbs stopped.

"Ry?"

Riley trembled.

Gibbs pulled his gloves off, dropping them in the sand and placing a warm hand on Riley's sweaty back. Riley flinched, and Gibbs sat down beside him, winded and breathing heavy.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Makayla finished her second to last class of the day and fought her way through the jumble of kids, all rushing to get to their final class. Hers was English, which she dreaded because she hadn't bothered to read the assigned chapters. Not that she hadn't had other things more pressing on her mind or anything, but somehow it wasn't something she cared to share with anyone at the moment. She pulled her cell out of her backpack, hoping to find a message from Riley and felt disappointed when none was there. She adjusted her bag, and glumly headed up the steps when she felt someone tug on her arm. She turned to see her sister, Melissa, and she did not look happy.

"Did you hear what happened between Riley and Josh?"

Makayla scowled. "What do you mean?" Makayla felt confused. Riley and Josh had never even met before. Why would anything happen between them? Melissa fell into step with her as they walked up the stairs together.

"Josh and Riley got into a fight."

Makayla frowned as her heart jumped into her throat. "Wait. What?"

"I didn't see it, but Trevor Bedford told me…"

At this point, they reached the landing, and Makayla stopped walking, pulling Melissa into the alcove to get out of the way of the sea of kids coming up behind them.

"What happened?"

Melissa shrugged. "I don't know the whole story, but Josh's dad came and took him home." Makayla's heart beat a little faster in her chest. From everything that Melissa had told her about the Marshall family, if Josh's father felt the need to remove Josh from school in the middle of the school day, things were bad. "Josh hasn't answered any of my texts, Kayla, and I'm worried. Have you heard from Riley?"

"No. I had no idea. Agent Gibbs signed me in this morning because we were running late. Riley waited in the truck." Makayla didn't bother to explain further. Melissa knew Makayla was on thin ice with the school administration; everyone knew it. "Riley was angry with Agent Gibbs, but it makes no sense why he'd fight with Josh. I didn't even think they knew each other enough to recognize who the other was."

"Trevor said Josh pieced it together rather quickly when he saw Agent Gibbs' truck."

Makayla felt her temper flare. "Why would Josh attack Riley?"

Melissa frowned. "You're kidding me, right? First of all, I highly doubt Josh would attack anyone unprovoked and are you seriously kidding me, right now?" Melissa dropped her backpack off her shoulder and glared at her sister. "Do you have any idea what happened to Cassie and Chris because of Riley?"

"Missy, what are you talking about?"

"Kayla, Cassie's car was destroyed trying to come to your rescue. She, Chris and Lukas could have been killed, as it is Chris's ankle is seriously messed up. Josh is freaked out! I've never seen him so upset. Hell, his whole family is upset. Cassie is beside herself. Her dad read her the riot act at the breakfast table this morning in front of everyone, and to top it all off, Lukas has to fly home for Christmas, ruining all their plans. All of this is Riley Janssen's fault! If Josh attacked him, and that's a big if, it serves Riley right!"

Tears blurred Makayla's vision as her sister all but shouted at her. A few other students stared at them as they walked by. Makayla didn't doubt that everyone at Xavier already knew everything anyway. Gossip had a way of travelling faster than the speed of light. A few texts here and a few texts there, and soon everyone knew. It didn't matter if any of it was true or not. God, she hated this school. People judged and condemned you before even learning the truth. It looked like her sister was no different. Melissa knew nothing about Riley. A smashed car and a busted ankle was nothing in comparison.

"Are you for real? I'm sorry about what happened to Cassandra and Chris, but it's nothing compared to what Riley's been through. He's barely hanging on, Missy. He's got PTSD. He doesn't sleep and hardly eats. His ribs are broken, for Pete's sake!" Makayla choked back tears imagining Riley getting punched by Josh. She'd seen the guy fight before. Josh was a powerhouse with a black belt in karate. How much more could Riley take without breaking completely? "If Josh hit him hard enough, he could have seriously hurt Riley right now. God! Did Trevor say what happened to Riley?"

Melissa narrowed her eyes, her face battling between compassion and irritation. She stared at Makayla for a few minutes, countless emotions swimming through her eyes until she dropped her hands to her sides and shook her head. "All he said is that Agent Gibbs dragged him and Riley off somewhere private to talk and that Josh went home with his dad. That's all I know."

This news felt like it hit Makayla right in the gut. Riley could be hurt, and no one even bothered to contact her. She was sick to death of being left in the dark about everything. No one cared what she thought, and she'd had enough. She spun on her heel and began to descend the stairs.

"Kayla? Where are you going?"

"Leave me alone, Missy."

Melissa grabbed her backpack and followed her sister back down the stairs. Once they reached the bottom, Melissa grabbed Makayla's arm to stop her. "Makayla, wait."

Makayla pulled away, tears falling down her cheeks. "Look, Josh could have hurt Riley, and Riley would never admit it. He's too stubborn. I need to know he's okay."

"Makayla, stop and think. Where are you going? If Riley won't answer your texts, where are you going to look for him? You need to think about yourself right now; if you leave school again, the Headmaster will suspend you this time or worse. Mom will flip out if you get suspended."

Makayla shook her head. "I don't care."

"You should. C'mon, Missy, be reasonable. Agent Gibbs went to bat for you with the Headmaster. You owe him. Pretty sure mom or dad wouldn't have done that. Plus, I'm sure Riley is with Agent Gibbs. He wouldn't have let Riley take off on his own, especially if he thought he was hurt." Melissa reached out and patted her sister's arm kindly. "I know this is hard. I'm worried about Josh too, but running off after him will only get me in trouble, and there is no way I wanna tangle with Josh's dad." Melissa shivered. "He's one scary dude when he's mad, and I kinda think you feel the same way about Agent Gibbs."

Makayla worried her bottom lip, feeling torn. Her sister couldn't have known Agent Gibbs that well, but she was exactly right. If she skipped school again, she would get suspended, and Gibbs would kill her. She did not relish another _discussion _with Gibbs any time soon. Not now. Not ever. Tears ran down her cheeks as she stood battling with herself.

Makayla sighed in defeat. "Did Trevor say anything else?"

Melissa shook her head. "He's pretty pissed about the whole thing, which means this isn't going to blow over anytime soon. What affects one Prefect affects them all."

Makayla felt her mouth go dry as her lower lip wobbled. How much worse could things get? Trouble at home. Trouble at school. When were any of them ever going to catch a break?

The bell rang loudly above their heads, making Melissa and Makayla both jump. The first warning bell. If they didn't get to class, they would be marked late or absent. Melissa hooked her arm in Makayla's and pulled her back towards the steps. "Go to class, and we'll meet back here after. I'll help you find him, Kayla, okay? Just please go to class, so you don't get into any more trouble. I have to run."

Makayla watched her sister clutch the strap of her backpack and disappeared into the crowd of stranglers rushing to class. She wished her sister was more of a rebel and less of a goodie-goodie. On the other hand, she wished even more that she wasn't always so tempted to break the rules. Being naturally compliant would be so much simpler, especially right now.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Riley wrapped his hands around his knees, having sunk to his butt in the sand. The anger fueling him seeped away as fear and fatigue won out. He could feel himself trembling. His heart hammered against his chest like it was trying to liberate itself. He wanted to escape. Gibbs breathed heavily beside him, but the man didn't say anything. It didn't seem to matter what Riley did. Gibbs would not back off.

Every muscle and joint burned. It hurt to draw in a deep breath. His jaw throbbed, and his teeth ached. He stared into the distance, but his vision blurred. Tears of anger and frustration burned the back of his throat and escaped down his sweaty face. Sand clung to his arms, legs and face. He felt grimy and uncomfortable and completely worn out. It was like being stuck in a nightmare that just continued to get worse. There was no escape.

"Are you okay?"

The man asked the same damn thing, relentlessly. Of course, he wasn't okay. How could he be okay? The question was so flipping annoying. How could he be okay after getting beat up, almost killed and then put in a frigging boxing ring? Was this guy for real?

"Stop asking me that!" Riley growled, not being able to keep his annoyance hidden.

Riley attempted to get to his feet but groaned at the endeavour. There wasn't any part of him that didn't hurt. He reached up and tried to wipe the sand from his face. He'd landed face first a time or two, so he could taste the grit in his mouth. It wasn't a pleasant sensation. The sand seemed to soak up the sweat and take permanent residence in every orifice of his body. He wiped his nose and looked at his hand. Blood mixed with sweat and sand. He wrinkled his nose. This sucked.

Gibbs groaned when he stood to his feet and walked to the duffle bags he'd brought with him. Grabbing a couple of water bottles and some rags, he returned towering over Riley. He offered a bottle and tossed a few rags into his lap. Riley refused to look at him but gratefully accepted the offering. After a few minutes, he was able to clean his face enough so he could see clearly again. He looked to see that Gibbs had stepped into the grass and sat down on a bench, cleaning himself off as best he could as well. Riley didn't miss the bloody nose the older man sported. A smirk came to his face when he saw it. He was glad he'd bloody the man's nose. He deserved it for being so flipping annoying.

Riley grimaced when he finally managed to get to his feet. He cursed under his breath as he limped off the sand, trying to brush himself off. He walked towards Gibbs, wishing he had the energy to drop kick the older man into another dimension. But he didn't. He was spent. Every single ounce of energy was gone. He sat down with an audible groan.

"Ready to talk?"

Riley had to chuckle. There was just no other thing left in him to do. He hurt too much to move. "Are you for real, man?"

"The blood running down my face says I am," said the man, continuing to wipe at his nose.

Riley sighed. He didn't have the energy to fight anymore and what would even be the point. What was he trying to prove? He tipped his bottle of water up and downed more than a half in a single chug.

"What did Trace have on you, Riley?"

Riley set the bottle on the bench and stared out at the grassy field surrounding them. "He was blackmailing me," he finally admitted.

Gibbs nodded. Riley had already told him this before. "About what?"

Riley felt her lower lip wobble a little. Soon, it would be all out in the open, and he'd have no dignity left. "Where do you want me to start?"

"The beginning would be nice."

Riley took a deep breath and winced at the pain. "It started at Parris Island. You already know most of that. He saw some things, and just when I thought he'd help, he used it against me. So, to keep him quiet, I did what he told me."

"Riley, enough with the ambiguity. We've been through much of this already. I can speculate until the cows come home, but right now, the truth would be nice."

Riley's face reddened. "He saw what Adams did to me…"

"The abuse?"

"That and more." Riley couldn't look at Gibbs at this point. His heartrate picked up. He did not want to admit anything else, and it didn't need to be said.

"More what, Rye? You're dancing around something here."

Tears blurred his vision as Riley worked to keep his heart rate under control. "He walked in on Adam's trying to rape me! There, are you goddamned happy?" Riley screamed the words, tears rushing down his cheeks. He never wanted to say the words. Nothing happened, but it had been close, and that alone stuck with him and always would.

Gibbs seemed to accept the answer in stride, not even blinking or showing any emotion other than his blue eyes tearing up a little. The man quickly blinked it away, but it didn't escape Riley's notice. Sympathy was something Riley did not want to see.

"Okay, so Trace walked in and stopped it…." Gibbs prompted Riley to continue.

"Yeah, and I thought Adams' rampage would stop."

"And it didn't."

"History, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs nodded after a moment and then said, "What else?"

Riley's Adam's apple bobbed up and down in his throat. "He threatened to tell the whole unit I was gay. At first, I sloughed it off, but then he upped the ante, threatening to spread that I was Adams' lover. I'm sure I don't have to tell you what that kind of scuttlebutt could do. I started stealing things he wanted…cigarette's and drugs. Nothing too serious in the beginning."

"Right…and then it went to illegal stuff."

Riley nodded. "By the time it got to that point, he was blackmailing Adams too. Adams blamed it on me. The abuse got worse. I told myself it was better than what could have happened."

Gibbs' cobalt eyes shimmered a little at that point. "So, let's fast forward until recently. What did Trace want?"

Riley fidgeted, not wanting to continue. Tears continued to run down his flushed cheeks, making him feel like a failure.

Gibbs reached out and patted his back gently.

"More of the same. More threats and blackmail. When I refused to cooperate, he pounded the crap out of me…"

"Was that the time you picked up Makayla?"

He nodded.

"Riley, you should have come to me. I could have helped you…"

"It wasn't about me!" Riley shouted. "It was about you, damn it. Are you happy now? Trace wanted intel on you."

Gibbs blinked, confusion shrouding his face. "Me?"

"Yes, you. Trace had dirt on you. If I didn't cooperate, he'd expose you. He wanted me to give him any Intel from NCIS…he wanted me to empty your bank accounts and feed him Intel. When I refused, he continued to give me the beat down. I blacked out. I couldn't remember what I said. I was afraid I told him where you lived. That would've put Aimee and Janessa in danger. I couldn't let that happen. That's why I took off from the hospital."

"What kind of dirt?"

"He said he had proof you killed some guy."

The colour seemed to drain from Gibbs' face. Riley frowned at him for a few moments trying to decide if Gibbs' reaction meant he was guilty or if it meant something else. After a minute, Gibbs schooled his features once again, and the moment passed, leaving Riley uncertain about what he'd seen.

"I was a Marine, Rye. I've killed a lot of men. Hell, I've killed a lot of men as an NCIS agent. That isn't anything new in my line of work."

"No, he wasn't talking about in the line of duty. He said it was a homicide, but you covered it up. He said he had enough on you to put you away for a long time. And it wasn't just him. He said he knew people that would kill you in a heartbeat. He said he knew people way above your head."

Gibbs put a hand on Riley's shoulder. "Are you saying all this happened out of some kind of desire to protect me? Riley, you don't need to…" Gibbs stopped and heaved a sigh. "Riley, that's not your job. Trace wasn't the powerful man you thought he was. He had no control over me…"

"You don't know that!" Riley insisted. "And it wasn't just about you. It was about Makayla and your girls. What would happen to them if you were arrested or killed?

"Riley, Michael Trace was nobody. I've had every single inch of his life raked over with a fine-tooth comb. I'm telling you this guy was no threat to me. He manipulated you, son. I'm sorry he did that, but it's over now."

Tears fell down Riley's cheeks as he processed Gibbs' words. The man was right. It was over. Trace was gone. Ziva had taken him out of the equation, and he couldn't hurt anyone else again. Janessa was safe. Makayla was safe. But Riley would never believe that Trace wasn't dangerous. He'd seen the man in action both on-base and off. Trace had been far too convincing to slough off.

"But there's something else we need to discuss."

Riley tensed up.

"What happened at the hospital between you and Makayla?"

Riley took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He didn't know how much trouble he was heading for with Gibbs, but he knew what Gibbs was inferring, and he was too tired to fight anymore.

"I asked her to stall and distract you so I could leave the hospital without you knowing."

"I know that. I want to know what you said or did to persuade her to do it."

Riley's eyes flew to Gibbs. His anger sparked anew at the line of questioning. "What are you suggesting?" It sounded like Gibbs was implying that he'd threatened Makayla. He would never do that.

"Relax. I'm not suggesting anything, Riley. Makayla refused to tell me much of anything. I want to know what happened."

Riley felt his face flush as the small spark of ire faded. He never intended to let things get so blown out of proportion, but deep down, he knew the truth. "She begged me to tell you the truth about Trace, but I wasn't thinking clearly. I simply asked her to stall you to give me a head start. That's all. I never thought she'd come after me."

"Makayla is responsible for her own choices…"

"I know that, but I never dreamed she'd come after me."

"Neither did I, but I made it pretty clear to her that _that_ better not happen again."

Again, Riley felt flames climb the base of his spine. He was angry about Gibbs' so-called way of making things clear. He glared at Gibbs for a moment, but Gibbs didn't let it deter him.

"Don't get your back up, Riley," Gibbs warned, stopping to take a sip of his water. "Mak's hiding something. One of you better tell me what's going on…"

Riley scrubbed a hand over his face thinking back to his conversation with Makayla at the hospital. Much of it was foggy in his mind. He was pretty stoned on pain meds. Suddenly his eyes widened. No. It couldn't be that? Could it? "Shit," he mumbled under his breath.

"What?" asked Gibbs.

"She said she wouldn't lie to you…"

Gibbs nodded. "Well, I'm glad to hear that, at least."

"I was frustrated. I never asked her to lie to you, just stall."

"How did you expect her to do that with lying?"

"I don't know," Riley exclaimed, his voice rising. Riley rose to his feet, grimacing and trying to work out the kinks in his neck and back. "She started telling me how much she cares about me, and things got out of hand…"

"How so?"

Riley heaved a heavy sigh. "I…uh…kinda kissed her."

Gibbs' mouth formed an 'O.'

"I'm sorry, Agent Gibbs. I never planned it…it just kind of…happened…"

Gibbs put a hand up to placate him. "It's okay, Riley. I already knew there was chemistry between the two of you. I think you're more surprised than I am. Things suddenly make a lot more sense to me now."

The two of them sat silently for a few moments before Gibbs raked a hand through his hair and spoke again. "Between what you and Makayla have told me, I think I can piece everything together now, but Rye, I can't just let this go without some kind of consequence."

Riley turned his back to Gibbs, staring into the distance, watching some birds swooping in and out of the trees. He knew he wasn't going to like this. He hated being treated like a kid. Words jumped to his tongue, but he bit them back. He might as well wait and see what Gibbs had in mind.

"You lied to me more than once; you dragged Makayla into it by asking her to keep secrets from me..." Gibbs paused, waiting for Riley to argue with him, and when it didn't happen, he continued. "You told me you'd ask for help if you needed it, and you didn't. You broke my trust. If I can't trust you, then we need to do something different to change that." Gibbs hesitated a moment and then said, "Look at me, Riley."

Riley sighed and turned around, all anger gone.

"I'm grounding you for one month…"

"Grounding me?" Riley couldn't believe his ears. He couldn't remember the last time someone had said that to him. Was it even a thing parents still did? Didn't they take away your phone or something? Riley couldn't have cared less if Gibbs took his phone. Hell, he didn't even know where his phone was at the moment. "What does that even mean?"

"It means no using my truck. You do not leave my property without me."

"You're kidding me," Riley said heatedly. The freedom to take Gibbs' truck whenever he wanted was something he cherished beyond words. So, not his phone but the truck. Ouch. This truly sucked.

Gibbs shook his head. "It also means the two of us doing some chores together and helping out around the house. You're already pretty good about that which I appreciate, by the way. We need to build up our trust relationship again."

Riley huffed in response. Gibbs wasn't angry just matter of fact, and it made Riley feel off-kilter. Gibbs wasn't adding the fuel Riley needed to remain angry.

"Stealing my weapon needs some harsher consequences. I think some community service might be in order, and probably a lot longer than a month. I'll have to give that one some thought. I'll make a few inquiries and get back to you on where I think you could best be used.

Riley didn't say anything but dropped his chin to his chest. This kind of discipline felt foreign. No one was yelling at him, and no one was getting hit. Gibbs was just frank.

"No sulking in your room, either. That's passive-aggressive behaviour, and I won't stand for it. Just because you can't go anywhere doesn't mean you can't be pleasant and join the family. You're part of my family, and I expect you to act like it. Got me?"

Riley nodded.

"Since we're speaking so candidly, I want to ask you to hear me out on something else."

Riley felt too wiped out to do anything but nod again. They'd hashed out so much already, might as well clear the slate completely. Maybe then they could go home. He needed to explain all this to Makayla. It looked like the two of them weren't going to have much time alone for a while.

"We need to discuss your reaction to me spanking Makayla."

Riley's head flew up, and his anger instantly re-ignited. He rose to his feet and began to walk towards the truck. There was no way he was going to discuss this.

"Riley, wait!" Gibbs shouted, grabbing him by the forearm.

Riley shook his hand off but winced from the sudden movement. "There is no discussion." Riley continued walking.

"The hell there isn't," Gibbs called after him.

Riley cursed, and before he could stop himself, he took a swing at Gibbs, his fist connecting with Gibbs' jaw. Gibbs reeled backward, a look of shock on his face. "If you touch Makayla again, I'll…"

Gibbs moved quickly, and before Riley knew it, he was on his back looking up at Gibbs. The older man had very quickly upended him and was frowning down at him, but there was no anger apparent in his features. Gibbs stuck a finger in his face. "You'll what?"

Riley swallowed hard, his head still spinning from the change in position.

"I've given up trying to convince you that there's a difference between a spanking and a beating. There's a big part of me that wants to demonstrate the damned difference, but I promised never to raise my hand to you in discipline, and I won't. However, I will not apologize or change the way I discipline my girls or Makayla. That is my decision, and you have no say. You will not threaten me again, Riley Janssen. Do you hear me? Like it or not, I'm your guardian until you turn 18. You _will_ show me the respect I deserve." Gibbs took a step back and offered his hand to him. Riley blinked back tears but reached for the outstretched hand. Gibbs yanked him up to his feet, none too gently. Riley found his footing and took a few steps back.

"Do we have a problem, Riley?"

Riley shook his head. "No, sir."

"Good."

Riley stood awkwardly, massaging his fist. It ached from the punch he'd thrown.

Gibbs seemed to pace around a little, running his hands through his hair and then finally turning to face him. "I don't know what it's going to take for you to understand that I'm trying to give you a second chance to be a damned kid."

Riley didn't say anything.

Gibbs heaved a sigh and began to toss all the equipment back in the duffel bags. After a few minutes, he threw one in Riley's direction and picked up the other.

"Let's go home."

The two of them drove home in silence with only Gibbs commenting that he planned to drop Riley off at home and head out again to pick up Makayla. Riley thought of mentioning that he offered to take Makayla out for burgers after school but thought better of it. He didn't have it in him to fight with Gibbs anymore. He felt depleted, but another part of him was relieved it was over. Gibbs seemed satisfied with what he'd told him and didn't plan to push talking about it further. Riley was content to forget the rest. Doing chores and helping out around the place wasn't a punishment anyway. Working with his hands was something he enjoyed, so the joke was on Gibbs.

Gibbs' laneway was a welcomed sight. As Gibbs brought the vehicle to a stop, Riley was surprised to see Makayla run out the door towards them.

_**UH OH! What do you think might happen next? Makayla skipped class again or did she? **_


	34. Chapter 34

_**Hi Readers!**_

_**Thanks for the reviews and private messages. I read each one and ponder your words. I hope you enjoy the story and it helps you escape into another world for a while.**_

_**It's taken me a while to write, edit and upload...I had a bit of writer's block and was uncertain how Gibbs could get past Riley's walls. Riley has only known discipline to be beatings so he can only see spanking as hitting. I had to take some time to think about that. As a teacher, I've worked with children who have been abused...where any touch can be seen as hurtful. There was no way Gibbs could physically discipline a 16-year-old boy who is, for all intents and purposes, a trained Marine. Add to that the abuse he lived through at Parris Island by his D.I. and you get a pretty messed up kid. YET, Gibbs has a connection with Riley. Riley is feeling safe to let down his guard with Gibbs...so there is an establishment of trust. Gibbs proved time and time again that he will NEVER hit Riley but he will still discipline him (ground him, give him restrictions and guidelines) Gibbs is learning on his feet and on the job. Parenting is tough and discipline and teachable moments have to be individual to each child. Being a mom of seven, I learn on my feet in the field every day. I've apologized to my kid when I've screwed up too. It happens. **_

_**So below is what I came up with...a little warning that a fictional adult disciplines a fictional child.**_

The aching throb in his jaw matched the one in his heart. His mind reeled, making it difficult to think straight even as he drove. He needed to keep his mind clear and not allow himself to fall back in time. One thing Gibbs carried a lot of was guilt. A whole damned truckload. If he let himself go down that road, he'd never be able to dig himself out, and that wouldn't do anyone any good. One question remained. How the hell did Trace know anything about Pedro Hernandez, and why did he make Riley his target to nail him? None of it made sense. But one thing was for sure, as much as Gibbs carried enough guilt to bury him some days, he'd be damned if he let it. He had the same regret about blowing Hernandez away as Hernandez had to kill Shannon and Kelly. If that made him a terrible person, he'd own it. What bothered him most, though, were others suffering for his mistakes. That was something he could not stomach and would not tolerate. Michael Trace might have been the face behind the attack, but there was no doubt in Gibbs' mind that he wasn't the brain. Gibbs' gut told him there was a lot more going on, and he would find out. Eventually.

Gibbs heaved a sigh and swallowed his emotions. He needed to let this train of thought drop for the time being. He didn't have the mental capacity to think about it; he had kids who needed him. The danger had passed. That had to be good enough for now.

Gibbs continued to compartmentalize things as he reached his laneway. Parking the truck, he furrowed a brow when he noticed Makayla come rushing towards them. He glanced at his watch to see it was 1:45 pm. School didn't finish until 2:15. Why was she home? His bewilderment quickly turned to concern and then morphed to irritation. She had better not have skipped school again. The last thing Gibbs needed or wanted was a confrontation with Makayla when Riley was still so volatile. Gibbs hadn't finished talking with Riley, and he didn't relish getting into something with Mak now.

Makayla ran up to Riley's door and opened it, her face white and full of concern. "Are you okay? Trevor told my sister you and Josh got into a fight in front of the school today. What happened, Riley?"

Riley gingerly got out of the truck with a grimace, looking just as surprised as Gibbs. "I'm fine, Mak. What are you doing at home? Shouldn't you still be at school?" Makayla's face flushed at his casualness, and tears fell down her cheeks. She fisted her hand and punched him in the shoulder. Hard. Riley let out a pained groan. "Ow! Geez, Mak! What the hell?" he said in annoyance. It was apparent by Riley's movements that he was no longer masking how much he hurt. Gibbs was glad to see the kid had a limit somewhere.

"Shut- up! Why didn't you answer my texts? The whole damned school is talking about that fight. Do you think a Prefect getting sent home in the middle of the day would go unnoticed? Josh Marshall is a freakin' celebrity at Xavier."

Gibbs rounded the truck, stepping between them. "Hey! Calm down, Mak."

"No!" she shouted at Gibbs, her face masked in anger now. " You don't get to tell me to calm down. You're just as bad! You have no idea the mean things kids are saying. They saw YOU haul off Riley and Josh, and they know I'm staying with you. They're gonna hate me now because they know it was you that got Josh in trouble. I called you, and you didn't answer! You keep telling me never to be unreachable, but it's okay for you to be?"

"Makayla," Gibbs began calmly, his voice firm. "I didn't get Josh in trouble. Josh Marshall got himself in trouble."

"Damn straight, he did. The bastard," Riley muttered, his face becoming enraged once more.

Gibbs groaned and sighed. "You're not innocent in this Riley, so if I were you, I'd be a little less arrogant."

"Me arrogant? Are you kidding? You should have heard him…"

Gibbs held up his hand. "That's enough outta you! I heard him talking. I have a pretty good idea how things went down, but you didn't help the situation. You could have walked away. But you chose to escalate things by engaging him. We'll chat about this later."

Riley's eyes widened. "What the…" Second thoughts seem to fly through Riley's mind as he caught the irritation on Gibbs' face. He bit back his words and shook his head. "Whatever," he finally mumbled and leaned against the truck, arms folded across his chest.

Makayla stared at them, tears rolling down her cheeks. Her face pale, Makayla turned and threw herself into Gibbs' arms, sobbing. Gibbs couldn't help but wrap his arms around the distraught girl, exchanging a concerned glance with Riley before the boy dropped both his arms and his gaze to the ground. Neither one of them had given any thought to Makayla. Gibbs felt a twinge of regret for that. He kept forgetting what life was like in Jr. High and High school and particularly at Xavier. It was a whole other world for Makayla to navigate, and sometimes not a very nice one. Gibbs placed a hand on the back of Makayla's head and felt her trembling. Yep, this little girl was smitten, all right. Makayla had fallen head over heels for Riley, and she was feeling this intensely. Gibbs was in uncharted waters.

"Gibbs." Gibbs looked up to see Tony coming towards him, an equal look of worry etched on his face. "Makayla called me when she couldn't reach you. I hope you don't mind that I picked her up and brought her home. She's pretty upset."

Makayla trembled in his arms and then pulled away. "Please don't be m-mad at me, Agent Gibbs…" she said through sniffles. She sounded much more contrite as if realizing she had blown up and now regretted it a little.

Gibbs smiled at her reassuringly. He wasn't angry. After seeing the emotional toll it was taking on her, he doubted he would have been mad even if she had skipped school. But he was glad she hadn't. It would have been next to impossible to prevent her from being suspended. "I'm not mad, sweetheart."

Makayla's teary eyes turned towards Riley. "Are you okay?"

Riley nodded. He looked at Gibbs, and his jaw clenched slightly before relaxing again. "Agent Gibbs, can Mak and I have some time to talk?"

Gibbs looked at Riley. The young man looked exhausted. His face was bruised and scuffed up, not only that, but his whole demeanour looked sombre and almost defeated, yet at the same time, there was something in Riley's eyes that showed a yearning for understanding. Gibbs relented. He wasn't angry with Riley either, just tired, and at his wits end trying to reach Riley. The more he reached out, the more Riley pushed him away. Gibbs felt discouraged. Even Aimee had begun to let him into her heart. He had seen progress with Aimee, but with Riley, it was one step ahead and two steps behind.

"Sure," he finally said. "Just a give me a minute with Mackie first."

For the first time in a long time, Riley offered Gibbs a small genuine smile.

Tony took the cue. "Hey Rye, come help me with something in the garage?"

Riley looked startled for a moment but then nodded, following Tony towards the garage.

Gibbs looked at Makayla, who shrunk away from him., and his heart clenched. There were still some fences that needed mending between them, but now that he understood more of the bigger picture, he felt like he could make better decisions. Her tear-filled eyes melted his heart, and Gibbs drew her into another embrace. He owed her an apology. "Aww, Mackie, you're breaking my heart. I'm sorry I didn't contact you and let you know what happened. I broke my own damn rule about never being unreachable."

She pushed him away and lightly punched him. He grimaced, making her giggle. "Does this mean I can punish you?"

Gibbs smirked. "If it involves grounding to my room for a week, I'll take it. I could use the rest." Makayla smiled at his words while wiping at the tears still rolling down her cheeks. Gibbs reached out and thumbed some tears away. "Riley is fine, honey. I promise," he assured her, knowing this was her biggest concern outside of the Xavier scuttlebutt.

"What happened?"

"Honey, that's Riley's story to tell."

Makayla's lower lip quivered. "Is he in trouble?"

"It'll depend on how our conversation goes, but for now, we both need some time to calm down. Things will work out, Mackie…"

Makayla shook her head. "Everyone's mad at each other, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs held a finger to her lips. "Yes, everyone has some big feelings right now. That's natural, but I'm proud of you…"

"Proud of me? Why?"

"You could have taken off from school on your own, but you didn't. You made a wise decision to call Tony when you couldn't reach me."

Makayla's lower lip wobbled, and more tears escaped down her cheeks. Gibbs smiled at her. He was proud of her. Very much so, and it felt like a step in the right direction. Makayla tended to fly by the seat of her pants and make decisions based on her feelings at the moment. The fact that she gave it some thought and did some problem solving even when upset was progress. He planned to celebrate that. It was a huge turning point for the teen girl.

"I called you and Riley, but neither one of you answered. I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't stay thinking Riley was hurt."

"I know." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, walking to the swing on the front porch and sitting down. Gibbs pulled her down beside him, leaned back and began to sway the swing back and forth rhythmically. "Things have been rough between us lately, but I want you to know that I'm here for you, sweetie. You can talk to me about anything, okay?"

She nodded but still looked uncertain.

"Mad at me?"

"A little," she admitted, bringing more tears down her cheeks.

Gibbs pulled her in close, hating that he always had to be the bad guy. "Yah, I can imagine, and it's okay to mad at me." He was quiet a moment then said softly, "But are we okay?"

"I guess so."

"You guess?"

Tears continued to roll down her face and drip off her chin. He felt his heart pinch a little as Makayla seemed reluctant to share with him what she was thinking. He imagined it was hard, given he'd busted her tail earlier. He wanted her to see him as someone she could talk to and not be afraid of consequences. It seemed like such a fine line between holding her accountable and being accessible as a listening ear. Gibbs couldn't help but think he was screwing it all up. Why did teenagers have to make things so complicated?

He felt Makayla stiffen as he hugged her again and decided to let that conversation drop. He swallowed, knowing he needed to continue in another direction, hoping and praying the conversation wouldn't go south. "Riley told me what happened at the hospital between the two of you, and I wanted you to know that it's okay. I'm not going to badger you to talk about it unless you want to. I love you, kiddo. You're not alone navigating through all this teenage stuff. I know it's hard to believe, but I used to be a kid too. I'm here for you, and so is Abby, Ziva, Tony, and Tim…even Ducky and Palmer would lend an ear if you needed it, not to mention your Aunt Jenn. You don't have to figure life out on your own." In his head, he added Riley to the list as well but refrained. Makayla leaned into him further and tucked her legs up underneath her. Gibbs pulled her in closer and pressed a kiss to the top of her auburn head. "I'm very proud of you, Mackie. Don't let those snobs at Xavier get under your skin."

Makayla snickered a little, making Gibbs smile as well. She looked up at him with watery green eyes. "We joke about being kindred spirits and all, but Agent Gibbs, it's more than that. I can't explain it except to say you're here and my parents aren't. That means a lot to a kid."

Gibbs' heart tightened at her softly spoken words. Mike and Julia Wallace had skewed priorities. He hoped they would come home soon and realize it before it was too late. Both Wallace girls were hurting and alone. It shouldn't be like that. He pulled Makayla in closer as his front door opened. A delighted squeal reached his ears, and Janessa rushed towards him, jumping into his lap.

"Daddy!"

Gibbs pulled the squirmy little girl into his lap and wrapped her in a big bear hug. "How's my girl?"

"Me and Abby are gonna bake Christmas cookies." Her eyes were twinkling with excitement.

"You are?"

"Uh-huh, but she says I can't eats the dough." Disappointment showed on her face.

Gibbs smirked. "Abby's wise. Raw eggs in cookie dough might make your tummy sick, but the good news is Christmas cookies cook very fast. What kind will you make?"

"Gingerbread mens and sugar cookies." Janessa's eyes sparkled. She looked at Makayla who had stood to her feet. "Do you wants to make cookies too, Mackie?"

"Maybe later, Nessie. I'm going to talk with Riley for a bit."

Janessa's eyes grew large. "Riley's home? I wants to hug him."

Gibbs stood to his feet as well, swinging Janessa onto his hip. "How about we let Makayla talk to Riley first and by then, we'll have cookies for everyone to eat."

Janessa's little nose wrinkled in dismay. "You're gonna cooks with us, daddy?"

"Sure, why not?"

Makayla smirked. "No offence, Agent Gibbs, but toast and chocolate sprinkles isn't exactly a cookie."

"Hey! I can bake," said Gibbs in mock indignation.

Janessa looked uncertain. "Okay, but you gots to listen to Abby." She shook her finger at Gibbs' nose with a serious look on her face.

Gibbs chuckled. "Yes, ma'am, I promise to be good."

Gibbs reached out and mussed up Makayla's hair with a wink before going into the house with Janessa jabbering away about Christmas and cookies.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Riley stood with his back to Makayla as she ventured into the garage. His sleeves were rolled up, and he was holding up some kind of thin silver tubing in his hand as Tony stared at it in puzzlement.

"…are you sure, Riley?"

"Positive."

"What is it?" asked Makayla as she made her presence known to the two men.

Riley turned and smiled at her. He'd removed his leather jacket and was wearing one of Gibbs' many USMC sweatshirts. It seemed like everyone liked to steal Gibbs' sweaters out of the dryer. The man had the propensity to leave his clothes in the dryer and forget about them. Makayla had thieved a few t-shirts to wear as nightshirts. She wondered if Gibbs ever noticed his increasing lack of wardrobe essentials.

"Tony's installing a dishwasher and is looking for some piping."

Makayla shrugged. She wouldn't know kitchen piping from bathroom, if there was such a thing or a difference between the two. "How do you know so much about this kinda stuff?"

"Yah," echoed Tony, taking the tube from Riley's outstretched hand, still looking skeptical.

"Better question might be why Agent Gibbs's got sink tubing for a dishwasher in his garage," offered Riley with a soft chuckle. Gibbs did not have a dishwasher, nor did he have space for one in his small kitchen.

"Touche," said Tony, echoing the chuckle. "Never underestimate a guy like Gibbs, though," Tony swung his hand around the garage with a certain air of awe. "The man is an enigma, but I bet between his basement, shed and garage, we could build just about anything."

"Like a boat?" Makayla giggled.

Tony lifted a brow in amusement.

"How's he gonna get that boat out of his basement, anyway?" asked Riley, pushing his sleeves back down and sitting on a nearby crate.

Tony adjusted the dust tarpaulin on Gibbs' beloved 1971 Dodge Challenger before leaning against it. "Don't even bother trying to guess. Sometimes a man just needs a few secrets."

The three of them stood awkwardly for a few seconds before Riley spoke up again. "Uh, Tony, do you mind if Mak and I have some time alone?"

Tony, getting the hint, stood to his full height once again and nodded. "Of course. I'm heading out anyway. Let Gibbs know I'm gone." Tony clapped Riley on the shoulder gently. "Remember what we talked about, kid."

Riley nodded. "I will. Thanks."

Tony mussed up Makayla's hair on the way by and lifted his silver tubing over his head. "If my dishwasher leaks, it's on you, man."

Riley rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Get the easy connects, and you'll be fine, DiNozzo.

Makayla shivered as Tony left the garage and closed the door behind him.

"Are you cold?" Riley asked, pulling off his sweatshirt with a small groan and offering it to Makayla. He reached for his leather jacket and put it on instead. Makayla took the sweater and pulled it on over her own. "You should have grabbed your coat. It's not getting any warmer out."

"Thanks."

Riley sat down on the pop crate and looked up at her. "Everything okay between you and Gibbs?" Riley was glad to see that Makayla didn't look teary-eyed anymore. Seeing her crying did things to his heart, and that was confusing as hell. He wasn't sure how he'd handle it if Gibbs hit her again. Things still weren't resolved between them quite yet, and Riley was just too sore to want to duke it out any longer.

"I think so."

"Are you in trouble for ditching school?"

She shook her head. "Actually, he was surprisingly cool about that."

"Good. I'm still pissed he hit you." Riley chewed his lip pensively. "He shouldn't have laid a hand on you, Makayla."

Makayla lowered her head slightly. "I guess I kinda deserved it for walking in on a kidnapping."

"Not your finest moment," agreed Riley with a smirk, but then his face sobered. He searched Makayla's face for a moment. She didn't seem angry at Gibbs for what happened. Frankly, that confused the hell out of him. "Are you mad at him?"

"I guess not."

"He hit you."

Makayla looked uncomfortable for several seconds before she puffed out her cheeks, saying with sarcasm, "Um, yah, I know that, Riley, I was the one he was smacking."

Riley frowned, not understanding Makayla's nonchalance. "That's the point. He has no business doing that to you."

She waved away his words with a shrug. "It's just Gibbs' way. Heck, Tony and Tim get smacked in the head all the time. I'm surprised Tony still has his head attached to his shoulders." She smirked at him a little, but Riley didn't return it.

"He shouldn't hit you," insisted Riley, trying to figure out why Makayla wasn't more upset about it. If he allowed himself to dwell on it, he got more and more pissed off.

"It's not that big a deal, Riley, but I don't plan on doing anything else to piss him off, and you should consider the same." Makayla's face reddened further, and she looked away from Riley, hugging herself and walking towards the workbench on the far side of the garage. "Can we talk about something else now, please? What happened between you and Josh Marshall?"

Riley swallowed, taking in Makayla's awkwardness. She seemed more embarrassed than upset about what had happened. That confused Riley somewhat, but he decided to let it drop for the time being. If Gibbs' ever smacked her again, he'd knock the guy's head off just to make a point.

"That Josh guy is a real piece of work. I was standing by Agent Gibbs' truck, minding my own business, and the idiot attacked me."

Makayla's eyes sparked. "I knew it wasn't your fault. Melissa seemed to think you provoked it."

"Hell, no. I didn't know who the guy was, and I certainly didn't know he was your sister's boyfriend. The guy's a jerk!" Riley suddenly heard Gibbs' words echoing across his conscience, that he should have stopped the altercation rather than escalating it. Trouble was Riley already felt combative from the earlier morning events and ready for a fight. Any fight. Josh coming at him had almost been a welcomed relief, giving him an outlet. Nothing Josh said was so horrible that he couldn't have just walked away. The truth was Riley wanted that fight, regardless of the reasons why Josh started it.

"Josh Marshall is just used to getting what he wants. His entire family is a bunch of self-righteous jerks. I don't know what Melissa sees in Josh."

Riley smirked at the heat in Makayla's words. He considered her for a moment realizing that Makayla was the black sheep in her upscale family. She wasn't pretentious like most rich kids. She was down to earth, pleasant and pretty to boot. He felt his face reddened, and he worked to push that thought aside. "The guy's a jackass. He kept rattling on about how he and his friends risked their necks for us and that I owe him some kind of gratitude for that. I never asked him to come after us."

"I guess Melissa did…"

"Yah, well, then let Melissa thank him. I'm sure she can think of some ways," Riley bit out and then sighed when he saw the look of hurt cross Makayla's face. "Shit, I didn't mean it like that; I'm sorry, Mak…it's just…"

Makayla shook her head. "Forget it, Riley. There's no love lost between my sister and me. Josh is an idiot, and I hope the headmaster drops the hammer on his head for once. Be nice to see one of those snotty kids get knocked off their high horses. The Prefects think they're better than everyone else. I'm so sick of Xavier and how snobby those kids are. Today this guy at school nearly shoved me into a locker telling me I'm nothing special, but Brittany Marshall is all that and a bag of chips." She rolled her eyes at Riley when he chuckled at her words. "What?"

"All that and a bag of chips? That's a bit 90's, wouldn't you say?"

"Shut up, jerk," Makayla quipped, kicking him lightly in the shin, making him chuckle. "I just meant that the Marshalls are freaking gods at Xavier, and I'm..."

"Trailer trash? That's what I am apparently."

Makayla scowled. "Josh said that?"

"Yup." Riley popped the 'p.' "Pretty sure Pa Marshall ain't gonna be happy with junior…"

Makayla's eyed widened. "Did you see his father?"

"No, but baby Marshall was practically begging Agent Gibbs not to call him. Maybe daddy Marshall takes a page out of Gibbs' book..."

"Is that what happened to you…I mean, did Gibbs…?"

Riley frowned. "What? Hell, no! God, Mak, there's no way I'd let him do that…"

Makayla sucked on her bottom lip. "I didn't _let_ him either. It's not like I had much of choice, Riley."

Riley stood to his feet and started pacing the garage, running a hand through his hair. Makayla had no idea what went down between Gibbs and Riley, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to go into it right now. He felt so tired and really just needed some space. Riley stopped and gazed at Makayla. She stood staring at him, and it struck Riley how true her statement was. Makayla was so tiny. She wouldn't be able to fight Gibbs off when he set his mind to punish her physically. "Well, if it happens again, a well-aimed kick would bring him down to the ground."

Makayla's eyes widened. "No, Riley! Geez, what is your problem?"

Makayla seemed shocked by his offer, but Riley liked the idea more and more. It would be easy to teach Makayla some self-defence moves. She should know some anyway. Every girl should know how to defend herself from an attack. "You should know how to defend yourself…"

Ignoring the comment, Makayla asked, "If Gibbs didn't kick your ass, then what happened? Where were you all day?"

Riley caught Makayla's hands in his. "Nothing happened. We talked, or rather he talked, and then he grounded me for a month."

"Grounded?" Makayla looked baffled at the idea.

"Yah, grounded as in I can't use his truck for a month, and I have to do community service for a couple of months."

"Community service for a couple of months? Whoa. Gibbs is seriously pissed," commiserated Makayla, looking sympathetic.

Riley's chocolate brown eyes warmed a little as he looked into Makayla's compassionate eyes. He couldn't lie; he liked having her as his personal cheerleader. It felt nice to have someone in his corner for once. He smiled at her, taking in her appearance. Her hair was still tied back in a ponytail from school, and she still was dressed in her uniform. He reached around and gently pulled the elastic from her hair, freeing her long, soft auburn locks. He stroked her hair, feeling her shiver beneath his touch. Agent Gibbs had solidified something in his mind: Makayla liked him. That felt nice to know, but the question was, how did he feel about her? To say she was pretty was an understatement, she was a knockout. It was hard to believe that she was only 14 years old. He found himself wondering when her birthday was. Maybe she was closer to 15 than he knew. Somehow that thought made him feel a little less guilty. She didn't have the gangly look of some teen girls her age. Mak carried herself with the grace and dignity of a girl much older, and despite what a bitch her mother was, Makayla was her mini-me. Makayla's mother was a stunningly beautiful woman, and both Wallace girls were blessed with their mother's beauty.

"It might not be so bad. Christmas holidays are close, and if we can ditch Aimee and Janessa, we could spend some time getting to know each other better."

Makayla smiled and took a step back, pulling her hands free of his. Her cheeks reddened, making Riley realize how right on the money Gibbs was. Why hadn't he seen it before? He'd been too focussed on Trace and other problems. It dawned on him then how much Makayla had suffered because of him, how loyal she was to him and how she took a couple of punches on account of him.

"I'm sorry, Mak. God, I was so stupid to make you keep secrets from Gibbs, and now I've made life hell for you at school too…"

She chuckled and shrugged, "Just tell me you got in a few good shots for me."

Riley laughed at her sudden flare of spunk. "I'd be surprised if Josh can stand up straight for a couple of days."

Makayla's eyes widened, but Riley didn't miss the flicker of enjoyment in her eyes. She caught his drift. "You didn't?" she laughed.

"Damn straight I did."

The two of them shared a laugh but stopped suddenly when a sharp scream echoed into the garage from the backyard.

"Did you hear that?" asked Makayla rushing to the side door of the garage.

"Yah, l did."

Both of them rushed into the back yard to see someone bouncing in the net under the treehouse. Gibbs beat them to the net first. Riley and Makayla came up behind Gibbs to see Aimee still catching a rebound from the sudden impact. From the looks of her bounce, she'd fallen from fairly high up in the tree.

"Aimee, are you okay?" asked Gibbs, concern washing across his face as he half climbed into the net to slow the motion. Aimee's face was flushed, but she had the biggest grin on her face.

"Did you see it, daddy? Did you?"

Riley couldn't miss the look of anger that flashed across Gibbs' face as he reached for Aimee's wrists and pulled her closer to him. It wasn't bitter anger, though; it was frightened anger. He'd seen the same look on Gibbs' face when Trace held Janessa. Gibbs wasn't angry at Aimee directly; he was mad at the situation.

"Yes, I did!" He didn't sound impressed. "How many times have I told you not to climb past the boundaries?"

"Daddy," she whined. "I'm a good climber…"

"Damn it, Aimee. What if you missed the net?"

"I wouldn't…"

"Did you jump?" Gibbs demanded, holding her wrists tightly.

Aimee's smile faded. "No."

"What happened?"

"I kind of slipped. The branches are slippery up there."

Gibbs released her wrists and took a step back, crossing his arms. "How many times have I warned you about climbing past the boundaries?"

Riley scrubbed his hand across his face, his adrenaline pumping as he took a glance up the tree and then back at Aimee. "How far up were you?"

Makayla looked at him with a smile lighting up her face again. "Riley, you should have seen me. I could see clear across town from up there." Her eyes were sparkling with excitement.

Gibbs stepped closer and pulled her out of the net. "You could have been seriously hurt if you missed the net, Aimee!" Her belt catching on the net, Makayla came spilling out, leaving her jeans and shoes behind. Gibbs set her on the ground in front of him in her underwear and sock feet. Gibbs squatted down to her level, grabbed her chin firmly and levelled her with a stern look. "That tree is nearly 100 feet tall, young lady. I painted boundaries for a reason, and I told you not to climb past them, yet you continue to disobey me." Gibbs gave her a firm shake as he spoke, and Riley felt himself squirm, feeling the tension rising.

Riley looked up once again, shielding his eyes from the sun as he did. The sizeable old poplar tree in Gibbs backyard was probably both the largest and tallest in the neighbourhood. You could see the tree for miles away. It far surpassed any tree in the area. The trunk was enormous, and it made a perfect tree for the giant treehouse. Gibbs had swings and ropes for the girls to climb and an extensive safety net surrounding the entire tree. It had been an ongoing battle with Aimee to keep her from climbing the tree. She seemed persistent on climbing it every chance she could, and nothing seemed to dissuade her. It didn't surprise Riley that the little girl lost her footing and slipped. The branches further up, hidden by an abundance of remained autumn leaves, probably remained wet longer and in the cool of the air, might even have been a little icy.

Makayla carefully dislodged Aimee's pants from the net and offered them back to her. Gibbs grabbed them from her hand and stood to his full height, turning to Makayla and Riley.

"You two go inside. Aimee and I need to have a private conversation."

Riley swallowed. Gibbs' tone was sharp. He didn't often hear Gibbs speak that way. In fact, he wasn't sure he'd ever heard that tone before. "Uh, yeah, sure. We can take Aimee inside if…uh…you need some time to cool down or something."

Gibbs shook his head. "Nope, Aimee and I are going to deal with this now. Go inside."

"C'mon, Riley," Makayla said, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the house.

Riley continued to stare at Gibbs for a few seconds longer and then reluctantly turned to follow Makayla inside. As he grew closer to the back entrance to the house, he looked back to see Gibbs grab Aimee by the arm and pull her towards the steps of the treehouse. Sitting on the steps, he pinned the girl between his legs and lectured her. Aimee remained uncharacteristically silent, a rare occurrence for the little girl.

"C'mon Riley, let's go inside." Makayla pulled on his arm again, prompting him to follow, but Riley gently pulled away.

"You go ahead…"

"We need to give them privacy," insisted Makayla.

Riley ignored her and fixated his attention on Gibbs. He couldn't hear what the man said, but he could see Gibbs' facial expressions. He was upset, but most of the initial anger had melted away. Gibbs cupped Aimee's face in his weathered hand, forcing her to look at him. His brows firmly set, he spoke slowly, like he wanted his message to be clearly understood. Riley felt a strange kind of calm creep up his neck as he continued to stare at the older man and little girl. Aimee's mouth stayed closed, the earlier smile of amusement vanished replaced by-Riley wasn't sure…remorse maybe? Regret even? Gibbs pointed to the treehouse and then the tree and shook a finger in Aimee's face. The words disappeared into the wind, and Riley found he wished he could hear them. What was the man saying to her? After several minutes of what seemed like a calm conversation, Gibbs released her chin, moved his leg and flipped the girl over his knee.

Riley's face drained of all colour, yet he couldn't look away, the earlier calm quickly changing to panic. He could hear Makayla behind him pleading with him and tugging on his arm to go inside, yet Riley could not look away. Aimee kicked her feet in protest but didn't appear or sound frightened. He froze as he watched Gibbs raise his hand and land it smartly on Aimee's rear-end. The wind carried the slapping sound across the yard, making him wince. Gibbs' hand repeatedly fell sharply, causing Aimee to screech her displeasure. The shriek brought Riley back to his senses, and he rushed forward.

"Hey, hey. Whoa. Whoa!" shouted Riley, running towards Gibbs and grabbing his arm mid-swing. "What the hell are you doing?"

Gibbs stared incredulously at Riley. "This doesn't concern you! Go inside."

"Stop hitting her! She's just a little kid."

"One that's gonna get herself killed if she keeps climbing that blasted tree." Gibbs looked at Riley, frustration clouding his eyes and firmly pulling his arm free from Riley's tight grip. Gibbs repositioned Aimee's squirming body and pulled her closer to his side, halting her movements. "Go inside, Riley."

"No!" snapped Riley. "Let her go! I'm not letting you beat her."

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs puffed out his cheeks at Riley's choice of words. He could feel Aimee wriggling, and he was tempted to stop having already given her 5 or 6 sharp swats. He was having a difficult time keeping a hold on her. Aimee was a fighter, and in this instance, who could blame her? Looking up at Riley, Gibb considered Riley's wide eyes and panicked look and came to a realization. This was a teachable moment for Riley. While his gut was screaming that he finish disciplining Aimee simply because he hated doing it, _this_ exact situation was what Riley needed to see. Gibbs forced himself to take a deep breath and respond to Riley's concern kindly and matter-of-factly. "I'm not beating her, Riley. I'm giving her a well-deserved spanking for disobeying me. I have warned her that this would happen if she didn't listen to me. She chose this spanking."

"I did not!" the little girl screamed, kicking her legs. "Lemme go!"

"You heard her. Let her go." Riley said, but his voice wobbled. Confusion and uncertainty on his face.

Gibbs felt his heart rate pick up a little. In the distance, he could see Makayla standing at the side entrance of the house, staring at him. Gibbs felt on display, like he stood on the precipice of a cliff, staring down at a raging sea all while trying to decide to plunge in or not. How he handled this moment would stick with all three of these kids. No pressure.

He rubbed Aimee's back to calm her. He didn't like that she'd become Riley's visual. Thankfully, Aimee was still young enough that she probably wouldn't feel the same embarrassment that an older child might. He could feel Aimee's breathing relaxing. She wasn't crying, only protesting and wanting to get up, but Gibbs knew he hadn't finished. He wanted the sting in her tail to last a little longer. Aimee was hard to persuade. This needed to count for something to stick in her mind.

"Riley, I want you to go inside. If you choose to ignore me, you will remain quiet and allow me to continue." Gibbs made his voice sound firm and resolute, knowing Riley wouldn't budge, and as soon as the words tumbled off his lips,the storm clouds brewed in Riley's dark eyes. Riley was teetering on a dangerous edge, and things could get ugly fast.

"Go inside," Gibbs repeated, steeling himself for whatever went down in the next 60 seconds. He was going to finish Aimee's spanking in front of Riley, and he wanted to be ready for anything.

Riley took a step back, his jaw firmly clenched. He opened his mouth to say something but then clamped it shut, his lips forming a firm line. Gibbs noticed tears filling Riley's eyes, revealing how conflicted he was. Riley has seen how high Aimee had climbed. He'd lived with them long enough to see Gibbs exhaust many other avenues of discipline. Right or wrong, this was going to happen.

"Let me go!" snapped Aimee again, kicking her feet and turning to poke her tongue out at Gibbs. Aimee's belligerence shone brightly as usual, which just solidified Gibbs' decision to proceed. He took one last look at Riley's troubled face and decided to continue come what may. Aimee still needed a reminder to obey him, and maybe, if Riley saw what a spanking looked like, it might be a win-win for all of them. Maybe. Maybe not. Gibbs glanced towards the house quickly to see that Makayla had disappeared inside before he raised his hand once again.

Gibbs landed five sharp swats to Aimee's behind, one after the other, each one landing on the clothed part of her backside. Aimee froze after the third stinging smack, stiffening and then breaking into sobs. Gibbs had made them count. Riley's interruption had lessened the sting he wanted to leave behind, so he forced himself to up the ante to leave a lasting impression, just long enough for the lesson to stick in her stubborn little head. Gibbs lowered his leg and hoisted the sobbing girl into his arms, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, crying like she'd lost her last friend in the world.

"Hush now, it's over, and you're okay," he soothed, keeping one eye on Riley, who had tears falling down his cheeks and rubbing his hand up and down Aimee's back to help calm her down.

Riley seemed frozen in place just gaping at them, staring so intently that it made Gibbs feel like he was under a microscope of scrutiny, worse than when he'd first starting working with Mike Franks at NIS. Gibbs felt Aimee begin to calm down, so he maneuvered her to his knee so he could cup her chin in his hand. Her tear-filled eyes regarded him carefully as her lower lip wobbled.

"You are not to climb past my boundaries again, young lady. Do you understand me?"

Aimee nodded.

"Words, please."

"Yes, daddy."

"I'm about this close," he said, holding his thumb and forefinger an inch apart, "from tearing that treehouse down. I don't want to do that, but I will if you continue to disobey me. You're the big sister, Aims. Janessa looks up to you. What if she gets it into her head to climb past the boundaries, and she falls and gets hurt? How would you feel then?"

More tears cascaded down her cheeks as her big blue eyes looked at Gibbs.

"You're grounded from the treehouse for two weeks…"

"But, daddy…the snow will be here by then…" she protested with a whine, pulling her chin from his hand.

Gibbs knew her words were probably valid. He'd already told the girls he would take the steps off the treehouse and close it for the winter. He didn't want to risk them slipping and falling on icy steps. First sign of snow and it would be off-limits until spring. He'd done the same for Kelly when she was alive.

"Too bad! If you step one foot in the treehouse in the next two weeks, I'll spank you. Got it?"

Aimee huffed and crossed her arms defiantly.

"Words, please," he reminded her again. "Do you understand?"

"Yes," she snapped at him.

Gibbs chose to let her attitude slide this time. He didn't feel like he'd been very persuasive with Aimee because of Riley's scrutiny, but it would have to do. He just hoped he wouldn't have to revisit this, yet feared he would. His threat of taking down the treehouse was an empty one, though. Gibbs loved the treehouse as much as his girls did. He'd built it for Kelly, and he planned to keep it for as long as possible, maybe even for his grandkids someday.

"Okay, I want you to go lie down on your bed for a while." He slipped Aimee off his knee and grabbed her jeans from the ground, handing them to her. He'd forgotten about them, but he'd made sure to keep the swats on her clothed area and not skin; he never purposely chose to remove clothing. His intention wasn't to inflict unbearable pain but to merely punctuate his words. He wanted his words remembered and heeded. Sometimes that took an unpleasant sting to the backside as a reminder.

"When can I come out?" she whined, more tears rolling down her cheeks at that pronouncement.

"I will call you down when the time is up."

She sighed, giving him an irritated glare. Gibbs grabbed her in a tight embrace, pressing a kiss on top of her head. She stiffened at first and then melted into the hug. "Little monkey. Keep your feet safely on the ground."

"M'sorry," she mumbled into his chest.

Gibbs smiled, glad to hear the apology. "I love ya, Aims."

She pulled away and took off running towards the house, not bothering to look at Riley or back at him.

_**Notes from the Author.**_

_**I'm really stressed out over making plans for school for my kids. I usually homeschool, and my children come with me to the private school that I teach at part-time. My kids love the interaction with friends and being part of science, gym, music classes.**_

_**I'm so stressed out! The decision about school is too hard. It doesn't feel safe. I don't want my kids wearing masks for a long period of time. I don't want to teach children wearing a mask. I don't want to physical distance from children at school. I want to be able to hug a child if they are hurt or sad. SIGH **_

_**I'm stressed. **_

_**Please tell me what your plans are for your children. Do you feel safe sending your children back to school? **_

_**All this to say, I'm sorry if the next chapter is slow in coming...my mind is unsettled as I make these decisions. **_

_**I hope you are all enjoying your summer :)**_


	35. Chapter 35

_**Hey Readers... This is a super short chapter, but I wanted to wrap up a few things between Gibbs and Riley.**_

_**There is more written after this, but it didn't seem to fit in with this little section so I will let it stand alone.**_

_**Just a bit of fluff and understanding between Gibbs and Riley... perhaps even a truce, maybe. :)**_

_**Thanks for all your reviews and kind words, especially regarding my stress about school decisions. I think my husband and I have made some peace but everything changes daily here in Ontario as we approach the school year on Sept 8th...some boards aren't even sure if they will begin that day or have a staggered start...still fighting over masking kids as young as 4...and on and on...it's becoming a bit of a nightmare in my opinion. Never been so thankful that I homeschool my children. Homeschool for the win! My hubby is working from home so I can hand him the baby when things get hectic. Apparently, he gets all kinds of chuckles and laughs when the baby is babbling during his meetings. I think my baby boy is going to be a leader of some sort...he wants to lead all the meetings :)**_

_**Good news! I do have another chapter complete after this one...just needs a few edits and additions so you might be blessed with another chapter this week...just need to sit down long enough to do it, hopefully without interruptions. (haha yah, right...I'm dreaming LOL)**_

_**We are getting close to wrapping this story up. I plan to end it with Christmas. If there is interest, I will continue writing in this universe. There is so much that can be written...the kids going to school, Gibbs hiring a Housekeeper etc etc etc...lots of shenanigans for the kids to get into and Gibbs to figure out...and then there is still ABBY...I haven't forgotten about her. :)**_

_**Enjoy!**_

Gibbs walked towards the netting surrounding the treehouse, hauling himself into it to retrieve Aimee's shoes conscious of Riley's dark eyes following him. He didn't know if he should say something or wait until Riley addressed him. Grabbing one shoe in each hand, he bounced out of the net and stared up the tree in bewilderment. All he could do is shake his head. He didn't even want to speculate how high Aimee had climbed before she slipped. The thought terrified him. Aimee seemed to be a daredevil, the kind of kid who would rather seek forgiveness rather than ask permission. What kind of trouble would she get into as she approached her teen years? What about when she attained her driver's license? Would she even make it to adulthood at this rate? Nothing seemed to dissuade her, and she seemed to have no fear. In fact, she seemed to thrive off the thrill. That felt like a dangerous personality trait.

"She's persistent," commented Riley, walking to Gibbs's side and staring up the tree as well.

"Her devil-may-care attitude scares the life outta me."

"Think she'll do it again?"

Gibbs turned to Riley with a shrug, puffing out his cheeks in resignation. "Yep."

It was the truth. Aimee probably would. She'd been very enthusiastic about her climb, exuberance radiating from every fibre of her being. The thrill-seeker in her had been fed, and Gibbs highly doubted a few swats from him were going to discourage her from trying again.

Dropping Aimee's shoes on the ground, Gibbs walked towards the treehouse steps and began wiggling the hinges at the top of the steps. He might as well remove the steps now and avoid the hassle. Janessa was the loser in it, but it needed to be done. He didn't want to wrestle with Aimee any longer. If Janessa insisted she wanted a treehouse afternoon, he'd hang them again for her. He didn't see the younger girl putting up much of a fuss anyway. The weather was getting colder, and there were other things to do with Christmas around the corner. "Can you hand me that hammer, Rye?" Gibbs pointed at the old tool resting on the nearby sawhorse, standing by the fence he'd mended earlier in the week.

Riley obliged, holding up the steps as Gibbs hammered the bolts out of the hinges. Together they carried the wooden stairs to the shed, storing it away out of Aimee's reach. Gibbs returned to the treehouse and began to take down the rope ladders and the other ways the girls could climb into the treehouse.

"Shouldn't you make sure the window is shut or something?" asked Riley.

Gibbs considered that for a moment and then laughed. Riley had a point. He was so set on making the treehouse inaccessible that he hadn't stopped to think about the windows or if the girls had anything in the treehouse they might want later. Riley didn't wait for Gibbs to answer but jumped up and caught the closest branch and pulled himself into the tree. Gibbs watched as Riley manoeuvered his way up to the treehouse, and disappeared inside. A couple of minutes later, he jumped to the ground with an armful of dolls and other paraphernalia, which he set to the ground beside Aimee's shoes. Gibbs noticed Janessa's favourite doll amongst the lot.

"The window is fastened shut. Should keep the weather out," said Riley.

"Thanks. Good thinking. Ness would miss that doll."

Riley nodded and considered Gibbs for a moment, not saying anything.

Gibbs leaned on the sawhorse. "You look like you have something on your mind."

"Just thinking."

"About what?"

"What happened."

Gibbs rubbed the back of his neck. "We should probably talk about that."

"Yeah, we should," mumbled Riley.

Gibbs decided to stay quiet and let Riley take the lead.

Riley began to pace in front of Gibbs, running a hand through his dark hair. His words were jumbled, but Gibbs soon caught the gist.

"…my dad…he never did _that._ He just yelled and hit me…he never listened to me…he never once hugged me. I never even did anything bad, but he'd punch me just cuz he was mad. Sometimes, it was cuz I didn't move fast enough for him. I can still hear the sound of the belt flying through his belt loops…" Tears glistened in Riley's eyes, making Gibbs's heart clench in his chest. It broke his heart to see the hurt shimmering in Riley's dark eyes. It was no wonder the kid had trust issues.

"I'm sorry, Rye."

"You've talked to Aimee so many times, but she doesn't listen to you."

"No, she doesn't, and she still might not."

Riley stopped pacing and looked Gibbs in the eye. "What happens next?"

"What do you mean?"

"If she doesn't listen to you, what will you do?"

Gibbs shifted his weight and sat on the sawhorse, suddenly feeling weary. "I can't say for sure. I'll cross that bridge when it happens. I told her what would earn her a spanking from me, so now she knows."

"But you took that option away."

"Yeah, I did because I don't want to spank her again. I hate it. It makes me feel like a bully."

"You kinda are."

Gibbs nodded, feeling a little convicted. He always felt a little unsettled afterwards. Hearing Riley say he was a bully only fed that feeling. "I'm sure it looks that way." He paused and sighed. What could he say to that? From all outside appearances, it did look that way. He was a grown man smacking the backside of a child until she cried. He could understand why Riley saw it the way he did, but intent meant everything in this context, and Riley was still a kid. It was hard for a kid to understand the bigger picture. Hell, some adults didn't get it. And, who knows, maybe his old school techniques were archaic. He didn't know anymore. Ever since Riley came into the picture, he'd started to second guess himself. Little did anyone know the number of parenting books he'd been burning candles over as of late. He was becoming more open to finding new ways if they worked.

"But, I think I get it…" continued Riley.

Gibbs blinked and looked Riley straight in the eye. Riley didn't look away; his eyes swam with a new kind of respect Gibbs hadn't seen there before. "It's not some kind of sick pleasure for you. You're different. I never saw it before. My dad was always drunk when he smacked me around, but even when he wasn't, he never looked at me like you looked at Aimee. I saw it today."

"Saw what?"

"She's not scared of you. She stuck out her tongue at you! Didn't that make you mad?"

Gibbs chuckled. "It probably should have, but I was more worried about you knocking my block off," Riley smirked a little. "Rye, listen. Kids do dumb things. They don't think. And in Aimee's case, she does things like that for shock value. She wants to push my buttons. I'm used to it, but I'm an adult. I'm the one who needs to keep a civil head and remember that she's a little girl. If I allow myself to get angry and smack her in that anger, then THAT is when it becomes abusive. As a parent, I need to know my limits. If I'm angry, I need to take a break."

"My dad was mad all the time."

"And his anger wasn't your problem, Riley. He was wrong to hit you. What he did was abusive. No parent should ever hit a child with a belt or any other object for that matter, especially when they're drunk or angry. There's no excuse for it."

Tears spilled off Riley's lashes and ran down his cheeks. Gibbs could see so much sorrow and pain on the teenager's face. It almost hurt to look at him.

"Did you ever want to do that to me?"

Gibbs considered the question a moment feeling taken aback. Then after a moment, he figured Riley was referring to what he witnessed Gibbs do to Aimee, not what Gibbs had just referred to or at least he thought that was what he meant.

"No," Gibbs answered honestly. Riley was a 16-year-old going on 35. It was never an option.

"You said you did…"

Gibbs raised a hand to stop Riley. "I know. I know. I threatened to take you to the woodshed. Geez, no one forgets anything around here. It's like living with a herd of elephants. Rye, I don't know why I said that. For shock value, maybe I dunno, but it's never going to happen. You're too old for one thing, and the message would be lost on you. There's a big difference between you and my nine-year-old daughter, and there are other ways to discipline."

"Why'd you hit Makayla?"

Gibbs sighed and stood up. His butt was going numb from sitting on the sawhorses. Riley's body language was relaxed for once, a rare occurrence between them lately, and he was genuinely asking an honest question, requesting some clarity over something he just couldn't understand from his experiences. Gibbs was almost holding his breath for fear the moment would be lost.

"Why do you think I did?"

Riley licked his lips. "No, that's not what I mean. I know she did something dangerous, but so did I. In fact, I did way worse than her. I ran away from the hospital, stole your gun, lied to you and got Janessa involved, yet you never hit me. The things I did were much worse. Why'd you hit her and not me?"

"And you've received consequences for your part in that. You're grounded and going to be doing some community service for a while…"

Riley's face reddened a little, and he fidgeted on his feet, but Gibbs noticed it wasn't from anger. The boy seemed to be honestly seeking answers and trying to understand. "Yeah, that sucks."

"Good, glad you think so."

Riley seemed to be still waiting for an answer to his earlier question. Gibbs sighed, rubbing his hands on his jeans. The kid was asking some tough questions.

"Every child is different. You're not Makayla, and she's not you. Mackie is 14, still very much a little girl…"

"She's not a little girl, Agent Gibbs."

"Maybe not to you, but she is to me. She did something dangerous without thinking, and I'm not willing to mess around with that any more than I am with Aimee climbing that damned tree. A few uncomfortable moments over my knee will give her a tangible reminder to heed my words. She could have been killed." Gibbs stopped and pinned Riley with a stern look. "Believe me; in a different world where you belonged to me, sitting would have been a distant memory for you even at 16." Gibbs softened, seeing the colour drain from Riley's face. "But I didn't raise you, and you've been hurt. I can choose to discipline you another way."

"With boxing gloves?" muttered Riley with no heat.

Gibbs chuckled and rubbed at his jaw. "It was the only way I could think of to get you mad enough to talk; besides, I think I took the worst of that."

Riley tried to hide a smile that crossed his lips, but Gibbs saw it anyway. The boy fidgeted with his hands for a moment then looked up again, still looking like he wanted to say something.

"What are you thinking?"

Riley shrugged. "Mackie isn't mad at you."

"I know. That confuses you, doesn't it?" Riley nodded. "Rye, Makayla's realities aren't yours. She was raised by parents who never raised a hand in anger at her; at least I don't think they did. They've neglected her, yes, but they've never physically abused, so her understanding is different than you." Gibbs paused a minute, and he could see Riley was trying very hard to understand what Gibbs was saying. Gibbs cleared his throat softly, "Tell me how you felt when you saw me with Aimee?"

Riley's eyes dropped to the ground for several long moments before he looked up and stared Gibbs straight in the eye. "I was pissed, not gonna lie."

"Glad to hear you won't lie. It makes it easier when you're straight with me," said Gibbs smiling at him.

"When Aimee stuck her tongue out at you, I dunno, it was like I realized she wasn't scared at all. I thought you were hurting her." Riley stopped and scoffed, "She wasn't even crying."

Gibbs chuckled. "Kid's got a butt of steel. I think my hand was stinging more than her backside." Gibbs looked for a reaction to his comment, but Riley remained stoic. He stifled a sigh and searched his head for words to further explain. "I never want to hurt her…"

"You're hitting her!" countered Riley, suddenly incredulous. "Of course, you're hurting her."

"Riley, have you ever touched the burner on a stove when it's hot?"

"Well, yeah. By accident, I have. Why?"

"Have you ever stubbed your toe in the dark or hit your thumb with a hammer?" Riley furrowed his brow at the line of questioning but nodded. "We've probably all done those things at one time or another. Did you repeat it, or did you try and make it so you wouldn't do it again? You know, flip on a light, so you don't stub your toe or pay better attention when you're hammering or using the stove. Well, that's the way I view spanking. I aim to punctuate my words to make them a little more memorable so that next time Aimee, Ness or even Makayla come into a similar situation, they'll stop and think, maybe avoid repeating the same behaviour. Does that make any sense?"

Riley seemed to consider his words for a few minutes before turning away to stare towards the treehouse once again. Gibbs scrubbed at the five o'clock shadow on his face, not sure if he'd made any sense or if his words had fallen on deaf and confused ears. He was feeling a little lost for words but, at the same time, optimistic. Riley wasn't freaking out right now. That was a significant change. Maybe the awkward moment had been the teachable moment he'd been hoping for.

"I hate it." Riley turned a looked at Gibbs, his face flushed and eyes shimmering. "But, I think I understand it a little more."

Gibbs nodded. He didn't know what to say to that. He couldn't promise Riley it wouldn't happen again. "You gonna bust me in the chops if it happens again?"

"I might if it's Makayla," Riley said in all seriousness.

Gibbs closed his eyes, inwardly chuckling. He expected that response and hoped the situation never came up. He definitely needed to crack down on reading those 'parenting teenagers' books. He needed some new tools in his toolbox. Just like he'd removed the steps for Aimee so she wouldn't stumble, he was willing to do what he could to help Riley too. Gibbs appreciated the openness Riley was giving him. He'd definitely do what he could to respect the teenager's feelings.

"I'm sorry, Agent Gibbs." Gibbs was taken aback. He wasn't sure what Riley was apologizing for, so he remained quiet for several moments, waiting to see if Riley would continue his train of thought. "I'm sorry I'm so screwed up…"

"Hey, that's not true. And you don't need to apologize for how you feel. Your feelings are valid. I can't promise you that I won't spank Makayla again, but I can respect how you feel and do what I can to prevent it from happening. There are other ways to handle things."

"It's not just that…it's everything. I get so angry sometimes. It's like that mad takes over. Like when Tony was trying to stop me from leaving…I had a panic attack…and then I couldn't come back from it. It just switched to anger." Riley toed the grass with his shoe. "Then that idiot, Marshall kid," Riley growled in frustration and shook his head. "I was so friggen angry already, and his stupid friend just had to fling a cigarette at me." Riley crossed his arms across his chest and looked Gibbs in the eye. "I'm sorry I lost it. I hope you can forgive me. I know I gave you nothing but attitude and grief at Xavier, but I was so damned angry that I wanted to rip his head off."

Gibbs nodded, looking with compassion at the brown-eyed youth in front of him. He reached out and placed a hand on Riley's shoulder. "You're forgiven, Riley. It doesn't matter what kinda crap you pull. I'm not going anywhere. You might not believe this yet, but I've grown to care about you. You're gonna screw up now and then, we all do, but you've got family who loves you and has your back."

Riley smirked, his eyes glistening in unshed tears. He worked quickly to blink them away, and on impulse, Gibbs pulled him into an embrace. Gibbs felt Riley stiffen and wondered if he'd overstepped his boundaries, but then Riley relaxed into the hold for several moments before pulling away. He nodded at Gibbs, his face reddening a little and cleared his voice, saying, "I'll help you carry that stuff inside."

Riley turned and grabbed the armload of things he'd retrieved from the treehouse and rushed towards the house, leaving Gibbs alone with his thoughts.


	36. Chapter 36

_**Well, it's a little late but still within the same week, right? or is it? I lost track of time...**_

_**Thanks for the reviews.**_

_**Happy Labour Day to all!**_

Riley jogged in place, blowing into his hands, and briskly rubbing them together for warmth. He didn't mind early mornings, but the bitter cold in the air wasn't his favourite. Gibbs had told him to meet him by the shed at 5 a.m. sharp and he had no idea why. He frowned as he stared at the rundown woodshed. Ever since Gibbs had threatened him, the sight of it sent shivers down his spine. For the life of him, he couldn't understand why adults seem to think threats of corporal punishment would even work with teenagers, except when he discovered that Gibbs' threats weren't always just threats. Riley shivered again, this time uncertain if it was from the frigid air or the thought of Gibbs ever hitting him. In an attempt to shake the feeling off, he sprinted around the shed a handful of times, did some lunges, squats and stretches and considered jumping up and catching the nearest branch of a tree for some chin-ups when he saw Makayla walking towards him from the corner of his eye.

Puffing out his cheeks to catch his breath, he called out to her. "What are you doing up so early?"

Makayla dragged her feet across the wet grass, looking pitiful as she pulled a green hood over her head and adjusted her jacket. When she drew closer, he saw the storm clouds in her eyes. She did not look the least bit impressed.

"I'm supposed to help you," she grumbled.

"Don't you have class?"

"Yes, but Agent Gibbs seems to think hauling me out of bed at this ungodly hour will help me do well in school today."

Riley chuckled earning him a glare.

"Good to see you're on time," Gibbs said as he walked across the lawn, appearing out of nowhere.

"Like I had a choice," mumbled Makayla so that only Riley could hear.

Riley chuckled again. Makayla wasn't a morning person, that much was obvious. Gibbs swung open the door of the old, rickety shed and began to haul out tools and wood, chucking them on the ground.

"What are we doing?" asked Riley, following Gibbs' lead and helping him carry things out of the shed. Riley was always ready to pitch in and help and enjoyed the physical work. He bit back a smirk as he saw Makayla sit down on an upended log, looking half asleep and none too amused. Gibbs came out and pulled her to her feet, handing her a chunk of wood and pointing to where he wanted it stacked.

"Your job is to empty this shed and tear it down."

Riley's jaw dropped open, uncertain that he had heard the words correctly. "You want me to tear your woodshed down?"

"That's what I said, didn't I?"

"Why?"

"It's old and about ready to collapse. I want to build a bigger, more practical toolshed. The contractor is bringing lumber tomorrow, so I need this shed gone." Gibbs put his hands on his hips as he watched Makayla sit back down on a log. He frowned and hauled her to her feet again. "And, you, young lady, are going to help Riley until 6:30, and then you can hit the showers and eat before school. I'll drop you off and I expect you to stay put today. Understand?"

Makayla nodded, stifling a yawn. She looked far too sleepy to even think about smarting off to Gibbs, despite her grumpy demeanour. Riley couldn't help but laugh at her. He covered his mouth to hide his amusement. The Marines had taught him how to function on very little sleep, and he'd learned to appreciate early mornings over time.

"Rye, you can stack the firewood against the fence over there and cover it securely with some tarps for the winter. Come spring, we can build a new woodshed, but for now, it should be alright. You'll find some new tarps in the garage. Once you rip the shed down, stack the garbage wood over there. I'll see what I can salvage to build the girls a swing set." He pointed towards where he'd already stacked a bunch of old fence posts ready to be hauled away to the dump. "Any questions?"

"Is this supposed to be some kind of punishment?" Riley thought to ask. He really didn't mind the physical work, being outdoors with something useful to do felt good. He hated just sitting around and not knowing what to do with his free time.

"Does it feel like punishment to you?"

Riley considered that question a moment, wondering if it was a trick question. Gibbs was still getting to know him and maybe didn't realize how this kind of thing didn't faze him.

He shrugged, "Tearing down a woodshed seems like a make-work project to me."

"You're not wrong," answered Gibbs with a mischievous grin spreading across his face. He turned back to Makayla who was sagging back onto a log once again. "You can consider it any way you'd like, but I'd like it finished today. I'm taking Mak to school and then I'll be gone for the day. I've got some errands to run and then I'm meeting up with an old friend for a drink." Riley felt his stomach lurch. Gibbs wasn't a drinker as far as he knew but the thought made him feel suddenly nauseous. Gibbs seemed to sense Riley's apprehension and clarified himself. "Just coffee, Rye." Riley relaxed his shoulders and Gibbs continued, "Tony is picking you up after school, Mackie. I hear he has some chores for you to do. He's taking the girls and you for the weekend."

Gibbs hauled Makayla back to her feet once again. "I expect you to help, Mak." He gently tapped her on the head with his work gloves before handing them to her.

"Giiibbs," she whined. "This is cruel and unusual punishment. You said you weren't mad about skipping school."

Gibbs entered the shed once more, coming out and handing her an armful of wood. "I'm not mad but you still skipped out of school early. Consider this making up the time. Besides, I thought you'd enjoy some time with Riley since you won't be together this weekend."

Makayla made a face but looked more resigned to her fate and began to pull her weight. "There is such a thing as texting, you know," she mumbled.

Gibbs carried out a few more armloads from the shed and then stopped to brush off his hands. "Got things under control?"

Riley nodded. Gibbs reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone, handing it to Riley. "Don't be unreachable. Keep it charged and on you at all times. I want to be able to reach you if I need to. Understood?"

Riley fingered what looked like a brand new phone, looking perplexed. He hadn't remembered the last time he'd seen his other phone. Was it that day in the truck when he passed out? Cell phones were a new thing for him. He'd never owned one and now he seemed to be immersed in new rules with technology. This wasn't going to come easily.

"Yes, sir. I will try my best."

"All I can ask, I suppose."

Gibbs dusted off his pants and looked at both the teenagers a minute as if considering what else he should say. The scrutiny made Riley fidget. Tearing down the shed would probably only take a half-day. "Can I go anywhere when I'm done?"

"Nope. You're grounded. I don't want you to leave the property."

"I thought that just meant I couldn't use your truck…"

"Grounded means you don't step foot off the property without my permission. Got that?"

Suddenly Riley felt a little less smug. "This is going to suck," he mumbled under his breath. He needed his space and being stuck at Gibbs' house for a month was going to grow old fast. He couldn't stifle the groan of disappointment, but Gibbs seemed to ignore it.

"Don't worry; you won't be bored. I have a list of things for you to do to keep you busy. If you get done the shed, check out the list on the mirror in the front entrance." Gibbs gave him a stern look when Riley groaned again. "Do I need to remind you of the crap you pulled recently?"

Riley shook his head, his stomach fluttering in uncertainty. He wasn't used to this kind of parental attention. "No, sir."

Gibbs relented a little and continued, "It won't be all bad. There will be time for some fun stuff too. I'm thinking of putting in an above ground pool, and we can build a deck for it before the snow flies. But for now, your butt is grounded to the house."

Riley rolled his eyes and bit back a chuckle at Gibbs' idea of fun. Maybe he and Gibbs weren't all that different after all. Building a deck or a swing set did sound like a lot of fun and he knew he would enjoy learning how to do it. Not wanting Gibbs to see his amusement, he looked off into the distance thinking that if Gibbs was gone for the day, nothing was stopping him from going for a bike ride or a jog around the neighbourhood. What Gibbs didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right?

"Hey," Gibbs said loudly, making Riley look him in the eye. "Don't test me. I don't need a woodshed to discipline you."

Riley noticed the small hint of humour on Gibbs' face which settled the butterflies even before they could flutter around in his gut, and he found himself surprised when he didn't feel angry or frightened by the words. Instead, he scowled in Gibbs' direction, feeling heat come to his cheeks. He took a glance in Makayla's direction to see her smirking at him. Despite the fact he felt embarrassed at the statement, he realized for the first time that he felt safe and that Gibbs meant him no harm. It was a good feeling.

"Whatever," he growled back with a bit of cheek, but couldn't hide his playful smirk.

"Smartass," Gibbs said in response and turned to walk away, chuckling.

XxXxNCISxXxX

A smile stretched across Gibbs' face as he wandered in the back door and into his kitchen. He felt a wave of relief wash over him. That had been one of the best conversations he'd had with Riley surrounding consequences since…well, since forever. He'd been able to be stern with the boy but also joke around without feeling like he needed to walk on eggshells. Riley had accepted admonishment and even gave him some attitude to boot. It felt normal. Maybe he'd finally made some headway. Regardless, he was going to take it as success and bask in it for a while. Riley was a tough nut to crack and he felt like he'd climbed a Mount Everest of sorts.

Gibbs flipped the light switch on to see that the coffee maker had done its job well. He inhaled the heavenly aroma of freshly ground and percolated coffee and he poured a cup while surveying his sparkly clean kitchen. Abby had struck again. He owed his Goth girl more gratitude than he could ever repay. She made his house a home. She kept the fridge fully stocked, cleaned the place and watched the girls whenever he needed her to and sometimes when he didn't need her to. Abby had been a Godsend to him. His gut pinched a little feeling like he was taking advantage of her. Abby was a forensic scientist and a damned good one. She wasn't his nanny or his housekeeper. He'd kept her close to him on purpose to keep her out of trouble but also because she was avoiding him. This close to Christmas, with Jenn still away in Israel and nothing much on the docket, it was easy to keep Abby grounded to his house. Tony didn't need her. Tim and Ziva were tidying up some loose ends, and Ducky and Palmer had things under control. Abby's expertise wasn't needed at the moment, but that would change in the New Year. He needed a new plan. He would need to head back to work eventually and as much as he hated the idea of hiring a housekeeper/nanny, it was becoming a reality he couldn't ignore much longer.

Gibbs sat at the table and stared at his hot coffee, becoming lost in his thoughts. Early mornings had become his favourite time of the day.

"Daddy?"

Gibbs turned around to see a sleepy Aimee rubbing her eyes and blinking against the bright light.

"Hey there, sweet girl. You're up early."

"I was gonna crawl in bed with you…"

"Awe, I'm sorry, honey. I was up early this morning. Did you have a bad dream?"

Aimee nodded, looking visibly unsettled.

Gibbs reached out, pulling the sleepy child into his arms and she melted into them, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Wanna talk about it?"

She shook her head. Gibbs wasn't surprised. Aimee never shared her dreams with him very often, but he was glad she sought him out when she had them. He wasn't surprised to find her in bed with him some mornings. It was either Janessa or Aimee and many times both. The girls had baggage, but he hoped over time, it would fade away. He was willing to do what he could to help them, whatever it took.

"Excited about spending the weekend with Tony?" he asked, pressing a kiss on her sweet-smelling head.

Aimee shrugged. Gibbs was surprised at her lack of enthusiasm. Aimee usually jumped at the chance to stay with Tony. A weekend at Tony's typically meant late-night movies, popcorn and a boatload of junk food, not to mention the all-you-could-eat candy and very little, if any rules; every little kid's dream come true. "Not so much?"

She shrugged again.

"You don't have to go. You can always stay home and hang out with me and Riley if you want."

Aimee sighed but remained quiet.

Gibbs frowned and pushed her away from him, tipping her chin up so he could see her face through her long blonde hair. "Hey, what are you thinking?"

"Can I just be homeschooled?"

Gibbs furrowed his brow and frowned. He hadn't expected that question. With all the drama with Riley and Makayla and with Christmas rushing at them at breakneck speed, he'd forgotten that Aimee and Janessa would both be starting school in a few weeks.

"School, huh?"

She nodded.

"I thought you liked the school when we visited last week. Mrs. Strahan seemed very friendly. As far as I remember, grade four is exciting. You start rotary and walk to different classes with your friends. You get to play in the big kids' yard. Once you get the hang of it, you can even walk to school with your friends if you want."

Aimee didn't look convinced.

"Janessa is excited…"

"She's 5. Everything is exciting when you're 5."

"Won't it be fun to make some new friends? Must get pretty boring hanging around us old farts all the time." He smirked at her but his attempt at levity took a nosedive when she stuck her lip out in a pout.

"No one will like me…"

"Why would you say that?"

She shrugged. "I'm weird."

Gibbs had to choke back a chuckle. Aimee was her own person. Strong-willed and persistent, even quirky, maybe, but certainly not weird. "Aims, you're not weird. If anything, you're a leader. That's why I'm so hard on you when you go off half-cocked climbing trees. Janessa looks up to you."

Suddenly tears spilled down Aimee's cheeks and her lower lip began to quiver. "Can't I just stay with you?"

Gibbs pulled her into a hug. "I need to get back to work, sweetheart."

"I can help…"

Gibbs kissed her cheek. "NCIS is no place for a nine-year-old. We've tried that already. Remember?"

She nodded, relenting much quicker than Gibbs expected, making him think that school wasn't the only reason she was upset. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Did you get any sleep last night or have you been worrying all night?" He couldn't help but notice the dark circles under her eyes. That wasn't good. A tired Aimee meant a long day for everyone.

"Not much," she mumbled, yawning suddenly.

Gibbs stood to his feet, taking her by the hand."Well, let me tuck you back in bed for a while longer."

Aimee pulled away. "No. I don't want to sleep."

"Aims, you need more sleep or you're going to be a mess all day…"

"Please, daddy, can't I just sit with you?"

Gibbs looked into her pleading eyes and relented, gathering her into his lap as he sat down once more. He'd better warn Abby that it might be a rough morning with Aimee. His gut pinched. He knew Abby hated disciplining the girls already, and Aimee could be a stinker when she wanted to be, most especially when she was tired. "Promise me you'll be good for Abby today." He wrapped an arm around her and pressed a kiss on her cheek. He soaked up every moment of peace he got from the child. They always seemed so fleeting.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Santa needs to do some shopping. I promised I'd help him out for a couple of hours."

Aimee made a face at him. "Daddy, I'm too old for Santa. Nice try."

Gibbs made himself look shocked. "What? Too old for Santa?" He put his hands over his ears. "Santa's helper can't hear such things."

Aimee punched him lightly in the arm, making Gibbs laugh.

"Anyway, be good and stay out of the tree. Don't give Abby a hard time. Okay?"

Aimee puffed out her cheeks like he was asking her for the hardest favour he could ask. "Oh, okay."

"So, what'll it be? Going with Tony or staying with me and Riley?"

Aimee shrugged again. "Think Riley cares if I stay?"

"Nope. I don't think he'll mind at all."

"Can I ask him to be sure?"

"Yep, but tell me something first. Is there a reason why you don't want to go to Tony's? Something going on I should know about?"

Aimee squirmed uncomfortably at the question, dropping her chin to her chest and fiddling with the neckline of her pyjama top.

Gibbs lifted her chin so her eyes met his. "What aren't you telling me?"

"I can't say."

Gibbs took a deep breath and let it out slowly while he thought about what Aimee wasn't telling him. He was positive Janessa hadn't come up with any plans that would require Aimee to keep secrets, unless it involved a red bath crayon and Tony's unsuspecting tub, in which case, Gibbs would gladly turn a blind eye. So, that left Makayla.

"What did Mackie make you promise not to say?"

Aimee's mouth dropped open. "How…?"

"If you don't tell me, I will ask her," said Gibbs, cutting off anything else she might say about her surprise of him discerning the truth. " Might as well spill the beans."

Aimee pursed her lips and shook her head remaining silent. Gibbs heaved a sigh. It seemed like the girls in his house were adept at keeping secrets from him and he didn't like it.

Just then Abby walked into the kitchen stretching and looking startled to see them.

"Gibbs! Aimee? Why are you doing up so early?"

Gibbs stood to his feet and pressed a kiss on Abby's dishevelled black hair. "G' morning, Abbs. Sleep well?"

"I set my alarm for 5:30 so I could make everyone breakfast," she babbled on still looking flabbergasted to have met anyone in the kitchen at this hour of the morning.

Gibbs smiled at her thoughtfulness. He needed to take some time to speak with her. She was slipping through the cracks of his busy life and he didn't like it. He still didn't know why she'd been found crying awhile back and he never heard an update on the bone marrow transplant testing she'd told him about. Time seemed to slip through his fingers these days.

Gibbs looked down at Aimee. "Go ask Riley about the weekend."

Aimee slipped from his lap and scurried out the door. Gibbs bit back a smirk knowing she would head right out to warn Makayla that he was on to her.

"Riley and Makayla are awake too? What's going on in this house?"

Gibbs chuckled, pouring Abby a cup of coffee, and handing it to her. "Sit down, Abbs and get some caffeine into that bloodstream of yours."

Abby sat down, scrubbing a hand across her sleepy face. Gibbs smirked, taking in her pink hello kitty pyjamas and black skull slippers. His Goth had been always an interesting vision of style.

"No need to make a big breakfast. Cereal is fine. I'm taking Mackie to school. Tony is picking the girls up around noonish. He plans to take them out for lunch and pick up Makayla. Do you think you could pack a weekend bag for Ness? Aimee can pack her own stuff. You're off duty for the weekend, kiddo."

"Where are you going?" Abby asked, sipping at her coffee and adding more sugar.

"I need to do some Christmas shopping…"

"Gibbs, I already got the girls some gifts from you."

Gibbs feigned an exasperated expression. "I have more than two girls, Abigail." Abby smirked unabashed and then giggled out loud."And I'm meeting up with an old friend for coffee and some advice."

"Advice?"

"Yeah, even an old guy like me needs advice now and then. Sometimes I need a sounding board with all you kids. I'm not going gray for no reason, you know." Abby poked her tongue out at him and he shook a warning finger at her with a grin on his face. "You okay watching the girls until Tony gets here?"

Abby nodded and yawned.

"Take some time for yourself this weekend. Go home, go bowling with the nuns, relax... do whatever you want. You've been such a big help to me, Abbs. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I don't mind helping out, Gibbs. You know that."

"I know, but I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate it." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He knew Abby didn't need his money. She had plenty of her own. NCIS spared no expense to keep one of the best forensics scientists in their employ but Gibbs still wanted to reward her. Pulling out a wad of bills, he tossed them on the table. "Have some fun on me, Abbs."

Abby smiled at him, reaching out and patting his hand affectionately. "Thanks, Gibbs but if it's all the same to you, I'd like to stay here…"

Gibbs frowned, not being able to keep the concern from his face. "What's the matter, Abby?"

"Nothing's the matter. Just feel like hanging out here. That okay?"

Gibbs squeezed her hand gently. "This is your home, Abbs. You never have to ask." He considered her sleepy face for a moment. "You know I'm never too busy to talk, right?"

"Yeah, I know." She didn't meet his eye this time but seemed to fidget a little and stare off into the distance. It felt odd to him that Abby would want to stick around his place all weekend when she didn't need to. Abby was usually off saving the whales or helping out at Habitat for Humanity or volunteering at an animal shelter…anything but just hanging out doing nothing. Something wasn't right with his oldest girl. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he would find out.

"You and I are going to have a daddy-daughter date over the holidays. I think we need some time alone to catch up."

Abby looked at him and rolled her eyes. "Uh, yeah, sure 'daddy'."

Gibbs stood to his feet and tousled her already dishevelled hair. "Don't get cheeky with me, little girl."

He heard her laughing as he walked out the back door. It always did his heart good to hear her laughter.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs walked outside once more to see Riley hammering down the walls of his woodshed. Gibbs had to chuckle when he saw the look of determination on the kid's face. It was apparent that Riley enjoyed the demolition part quite a bit. It didn't surprise him to see Makayla sitting half asleep on a log, staring at her phone. He frowned when he didn't see Aimee.

"Hey, did Aimee come out here?" he asked walking up and snatching the phone from Makayla's cold hands.

"Hey, gimme that back!" Makayla snapped.

Gibbs lifted a brow in surprise. "Pardon me?"

"Sorry, Agent Gibbs," she amended quickly, her cheeks reddening.

"Chill out, Gibbs," Riley said, coming over to survey his progress from another angle. "I asked her to stand back while I knocked down the walls"

"Looking good, Rye." Gibbs handed Makayla her phone back and clapped Riley on the shoulder in appreciation. "You'll be done by breakfast at this rate."

Riley shook his head in disagreement. "Uh, yeah, not a chance. At this rate, it's going to take most of the day. Got a sledgehammer? That will make breaking up the floor a little easier. A lot of it is crumbling under my feet, but the sledge will make quicker work of it."

Gibbs was taken aback. He never intended Riley to be slave labour. He expected some chores done as a consequence, but he didn't plan to turn the kid into some kind of Mexican backhoe. Gibbs inwardly groaned at his own mental racism. Looking at Riley and then back to the amount of work the boy had accomplished in a half-hour stunned him. The boy's willingness to go far beyond his expectations left him speechless. There was no doubt in his mind that Riley had a desire to please him. "No need to do all that. The contractors will do it before they lay the new foundation." Riley's face was filthy and sweat gleamed on his forehead. The kid was a damned hard worker. Gibbs had a lot of respect for that. At Gibbs' words, Riley seemed to deflate and look almost disappointed. Gibbs frowned, backtracking. "Unless you have your heart set on it. The sledgehammer is in the garage I think, but don't feel like you have to do that."

"Riley, do you care if I stay home this weekend?" came a timid voice suddenly out of nowhere.

Aimee peaked out from behind what was left of the shed and walked up to Riley. Riley crouched down to her level. "How long have you been there?" Gibbs couldn't miss the worried expression that flooded Riley's face as he gripped Aimee's arms in his.

"Not long."

"Geez, make yourself known…" Riley said, giving her a firm shake.

"Riley is knocking down the shed, Aims. Stay away from this area unless he knows where you are. Got it?"

Aimee took a step back, looking uncertain. "M'Sorry."

Riley reached out and poked Aimee in the stomach playfully. "It's all good. You just scared me, is all. I don't mind if you stay home this weekend, squirt but why don't you want to go to Tony's?"

"That's what I asked her," Gibbs stated, turning to look at the auburn-haired girl staring at her phone. "Apparently, it has to do with a secret Makayla is keeping from us."

Riley stood up at that point. "What secret?"

Makayla's head jerked up and colour came to her cheeks as she stared at Aimee in disbelief. "You were listening in on my phone call?"

Aimee's eyes flew to Makayla's. "I didn't mean to."

Makayla jumped to her feet and grabbed Aimee's arm crossly. "You have no right to snoop on me."

Gibbs walked over towards the girls asking Makayla to release Aimee's arm. Makayla reluctantly obeyed, huffing and crossing her arms in annoyance. Gibbs cupped Aimee's chin in his hand gently. "Did you eavesdrop on her conversation?"

Aimee squirmed, not looking the least bit happy about being under scrutiny again after the events of the day before. "Not on purpose…"

"Then how did you overhear her phone call?"

"I just went in to ask her a question, but she was talking to someone so I waited until she was done."

Gibbs frowned. "You should've made your presence known instead of listening into a private phone call that did not concern you. I've warned you about that before." He dropped her chin and she stared at the ground, toeing the dirt with her sneaker.

"M' sorry, daddy."

Gibbs crossed his arms. "You don't owe me an apology, you owe Makayla one."

Aimee's lower lip wobbled and she looked at Makayla. "I'm sorry, Mackie."

Makayla groaned and shrugged. "Doesn't matter now, the damage is already done." She sighed but didn't look at Gibbs' face.

Riley exchanged a look with Gibbs, shrugging and indicating that he didn't know what the secret was either. Gibbs sighed, nodding in Aimee's direction, hoping that Riley would take the hint and take Aimee into the house. Thankfully, Riley seemed to understand and took Aimee by the hand with a glance in Makayla's direction. "Let's get some breakfast and talk about what we can do this weekend? Sound good to you?"

Aimee nodded, looking at Gibbs for confirmation. Gibbs dropped his arms and ruffled her hair with a small smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. "You're lucky Riley is such a great big brother. Go get something to eat."

She smirked at him and then began happily skipping towards the house, pulling Riley behind her. She squealed when Riley grabbed her from behind and hoisted her onto his shoulders. Gibbs chuckled at the scene. It warmed his heart to see the gentle kindness in Riley. He had no doubts that Riley would break the cycle of abuse that he had come from. Riley's character always amazed him. The kid had a good heart.

Gibbs turned to look at Makayla who still looked annoyed. "You can drop the offended attitude routine now."

Makayla scowled. "She had no right…"

Gibbs cut her off with a wave of his hand. "What did Aimee hear to make her not want to go to Tony's this weekend."

Makayla tipped her head up and groaned in exasperation. "It was nothing. The little snoop probably misunderstood what I said and is overreacting."

"How about you let me be the judge of that?"

"Giiibbbs," she whined. "It was just girl talk…"

"Mackie," he growled back in warning.

She shook her head, grumbling under her breath. Gibbs ignored her mutterings and glared at her. "Fine. God. Can't anyone get any privacy in the godforsaken place?" Makayla crossed her arms and stocked across the lawn towards the treehouse before turning to face Gibbs. Gibbs stood beside the partially knocked down woodshed, unmoving and giving her his full attention.

"Someone has to pay for what happened to Riley at school. He was minding his own business and Trevor, Harry and Josh attacked him…"

Gibbs sucked in a breath. "Now, hold on right there, young lady. That doesn't concern you." Gibbs scowled at her. This wasn't anything he'd expected. He'd already had it out with Josh Marshall and Riley. Young Marshall would be dealt with by his father, and Gibbs did not doubt that the man would be methodical. The Brigadier General would not take kindly to how his son had behaved. Riley was not a student at the school so he would not need to deal with any issues with the headmaster. As far as Gibbs was concerned, the dispute was over and done.

"It does so! I have to show my face at that school."

Gibbs softened a little. "And what do you plan to do about it?"

"Those guys need to be taught a lesson. They can't just get away with bullying people. They're supposed to be Prefects."

"I have it under good authority that they will be."

"Josh, maybe, but not Trevor or Harry," Makayla insisted.

"Makayla, I want you to promise me that you will drop this right now. What happens to Trevor and Harry is none of your concern. A report was filed with the headmaster, and he will deal with it how he sees fit. Neither one of those boys threw a punch…"

"What difference does that make? Standing by and watching are condoning it, and that's just as bad. Prefects are called to adhere to the rules and advocate for peaceful resolutions. Starting a fist fight is not okay. There needs to be some kind of justice."

"And just what were you planning?"

Makayla closed her mouth, her lips in a tight line, and she shook her head.

Gibbs frowned at her silence. "Uh uh, that's not going to fly with me. Answer me, Makayla."

Makayla stiffened and glared at him.

Gibbs was surprised at her tenacity but he shouldn't have been. He should have known she would try and out stubborn him. He stared at her for a few minutes and she kept his eye contact, not dropping her gaze away. Gibbs crossed his arms and waited. He could play a good game of interrogation if he chose to do so. He just wasn't sure he wanted the hassle this morning. In all honesty, he was tired. Did it do any good to browbeat her into telling him or should he just let things play out to conclusion? Wasn't part of teenage parenting about letting the cards fall as they may and kids learning how to clean up their own messes, accepting responsibility and making amends?

Gibbs heaved a sigh and relented. "Okay, have it your way, but I suggest you let Riley know what you're planning. After all, this does concern him."

"He doesn't go to Xavier. I do. This is between me and them."

Gibbs pointed a finger at her. "There is one week plus a day left before the Christmas holidays. Don't screw up your holidays by doing something stupid."

"Can I go get ready for school now?"

Gibbs considered the girl for another long moment and nodded. Makayla made a beeline for the house with Gibbs staring after her. He sighed and shook his head with a chuckle. Tony was going to have a fun weekend.


End file.
